Chocolate Chip Cookie [New York Times Favorite]

I'm slightly curious what the record for the most number of pins is after one week of having a Pinterest account...I probably really don't want to know. That being said, surprise surprise, I pinned this a few days ago and decided to make them after my dear friend Michelle had me craving homemade cookies when said she was going to bake some for her hubby for their 3 year anniversary. [Happy Anniversary Michelle & Steve! You guys are the best.]

Source: iammommy.typepad.com via Mallory on Pinterest

The pin will send you to this blog. I googled to verify that the pinned recipe really was endorsed by NYT as claimed. It is! Here is the article about the baker and the recipe posted exactly a two years ago today. How ironic.

Here's the recipe:

The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie
Adapted by Jacques Torres
Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

Ingredients
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
sea salt

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate; Valrhona fèves, oval-shaped chocolate pieces, are at Whole Foods.

-- The Finer Things in Life --

Needless to say, as with most recipes, I improvised using what I had - which meant, I used all bread flour since I didn't have any cake flour. I also didn't even know "fèves" was a word, let alone edible until checking out the NYT article, so I opted for good ol' fashioned semi-sweet chocolate chips. Still tasted fabulous. Although, these chocolate chip cookies sure do give the NYT recipe a run for its money. Have you ever had a chocolate chip cookie comparison bake? I'm thinking about hosting one - having friends come over, each bringing a batch of the best chocolate chip cookie recipe they have and then doing a little taste test. And of course having recipe cards to hand out for each one.

Finally, as I pondered after completing this pin, what do you do with your pins on Pinterest once they are complete?