Not to be Missed

After ignoring it for almost three years, I am officially on board with The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.  There's a reason that it generated a big buzz when it was published, and continues to be a popular topic for food bloggers.  The cookies that the recipe makes are other-worldly, and if you haven't tasted them, you really haven't tasted a chocolate chip cookie this good.


I don't always adhere exactly to a recipe - even for baking - but I made an exception when I tried this chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I sought out 1 1/4 lbs bittersweet chocolate discs (and found them at Whole Foods), bought some bread flour, and made sure that I had enough cake flour to make an entire batch.  My butter and eggs were at room temperature, and I sifted all of the dry ingredients, which is a step I would normally skip.


As Jamie of My Baking Addiction mentions in the post that ultimately inspired me to make the cookies, the dough requires some extra attention and time, but there's no question that the cookies are worth it.  For whatever scientific reason, the dough needs to rest in the fridge for twenty-four hours, and that time makes all of the difference.  I know this for a fact, because I tasted the dough and the cookies as soon as I finished stirring in the chocolate discs, and every night after that.


The cookie itself is lighter than my normal chocolate chip (a variation on the Tollhouse recipe), and the exterior has a delicate crispness when you bite into it.  It's almost like the light crunch of sugar, but it's not at all gritty.  I love how the discs keep there shape and ease into layers while the dough is baking.  There is exactly the right amount of chocolate to have enough in every bite, and the richness of bittersweet chocolate make each mouthful special.

If you haven't already tried these or made these yourself, I strongly encourage you to go out and get the ingredients, or at least beg me to make them for you.  I won't need much convincing.