Here we go!
While I maintain that any and all times are appropriate for a choc chip, I think any transition period demands them. The uncomfortable slide into summer and sudden, surprising heat merits a reward. I’ve been busy making big future moves. I’ve been considering buying ballet flats and making my own orgeat, and most nights I’ve been vividly, disruptively dreaming. This will help. I think? Can’t hurt. I’ll put ‘em in the oven after eating cantaloupe water ice from John’s.
This is the chocolate chip cookie recipe I make whenever I want the most nostalgic version of the product - the platonic ideal, if you will. Later in our journey together we’ll tweak it. Have some fun, won’t ya? We’ll make detours into cozy oatmeal raisin (don’t even COME at me about not liking raisins), sables for class, and chewy gingersnaps for fall.
This recipe is a melting pot of everything I’ve ever learned and picked up from other chefs. Melting butter, browning some, a mix of chocolates, lots of salt, etc. The result is a cliche good cookie - nice and butterscotchy with a chewy center and crispy edges. Again, I want to reiterate that you can - and should - play around with these. Substitute a quarter of the flour for whole wheat or rye! Add in toasted pecans, or crumbled pretzels. Tell me how it tastes and how much better you feel after you have one.
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chocolate chip cookies
Inspired by Claire Saffitz, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, and many more!
In addition to a scale, buying a good scoop is a cookie essential. I use this one for lots of cookies, but getting a bigger one can be good if you want to supersize it.
Really, use a scale.
2 sticks (227g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons (28g) heavy cream or milk
1 3/4 cup (230g) AP flour
2 1/4 teaspoons (8g) kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons (8g) baking soda
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons (125g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons (175g) packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs (for cookies with a tender, almost cake-like center, add 1 egg yolk)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (17g)
10 ounces (280g) chopped chocolate (I like a mix of dark and milk)
Flaky salt, to finish
directions
Whisk the flour, salt and baking soda in a small bowl.
Put half of the butter (113g) in a medium bowl with the heavy cream. Brown the other half of the butter (113g) in a small saucepan*. When the foaming subsides and the milk solids are a toasty, nutty, brown, scrape out into the prepared bowl. Let sit to cool for a while.
When the mix is warm, but not hot, add the granulated and dark brown sugars and whisk well to combine. Keep whisking until sugars and butter are no longer separated. Add the eggs, egg yolk (if using) and vanilla and whisk well to combine - mix will be smooth and shiny.
Add dry ingredients and stir to combine. While there are still a few streaks of flour, add in the chocolate and mix to fully combine.
Let dough sit for about 15 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate - this will help it hold together better when you scoop it. Scoop about 60-70g portions of dough (around 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons) onto a sheet tray lined with parchment. Let the scooped dough chill overnight in the fridge (or up to 3 days)**.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Arrange the cookies on a sheet tray lined with parchment, leaving room for them to spread (a few inches). Bake until golden and crisp on the edges but still soft and puffy in the center (but not raw and shiny). Sprinkle with flaky salt.
*If you aren’t familiar with browning butter, bring to a boil over medium heat. Stirring constantly, wait for the foam to subside and the milk solids to turn a toasty, nutty, brown. Immediately remove from the heat (trust me, they’ll burn) and scrape into your bowl. Make sure to get all the browned bits - that’s where the flavor is!
**I highly recommend transferring some of the chilled cookie dough to the freezer. You can bake directly from frozen, just add a couple minutes to the bake time.
side notes
My (from childhood) best friend’s birthday was this week, and I made her a cake for her beautiful backyard party inspired by her favorite cocktail - the Naked and Famous. It’s made with equal parts mezcal, Aperol, yellow chartreuse and lime juice (make it! now! sub Suze for the chartreuse since the monks reasonably don’t want to make enough for commercial demand). If you care - I went with a vanilla sponge, a mezcal, aperol and coconut soak, lime curd, coconut crunchies, chartreuse-inspired whip (anise, saffron, honey and pine) and a vanilla bean-lime buttercream. It was light and herbal and a little weird! Perfect.
Okay that’s it. Eat a cookie and see if inventing a new bedtime routine is worth it (ah, moisturizing my hands well each and every night WILL fix everything). Sleep tight kids. I’ll be here when you wake up.