Classic Cookies with a Twist

The other day I was browsing one of my favorite blogs, Cupcakes & Cashmere, and Emily had experimented or tested out a cookie she claims is the "Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever."  Well, it looked simple enough so I went out to find the remaining ingredients.  Yes, this is a big step for me and it was well worth it! These turned out to be the fluffiest homemade cookies I have ever had. 

I absolutely adore the way Emily lays out her page and blog posts.  She seems to have a fantastic way of laying out the ingredients and it might help to invest in a different camera.  The entire process does take a bit of time because the dough apparently tastes better if it sits for 24-36 hours.  This ended up working out well in between my crazy class, work, meeting, and intramural schedule.

Ingredients

2 cups minus 2 Tbsp. (8 ½ oz.) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8 ½ oz.) bread flour
1 ¼ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. coarse salt, such as kosher
2 ½ sticks (1 ¼ cups; 10 oz.) unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼ cups (10 oz.) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. (8 oz.) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ¼ pounds bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks, preferably about 60% cacao content, such as Ghirardelli
Sea salt or kosher salt for garnishing

Combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk well; then set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugars until very light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. 

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. 

Yep, keep on mixing! Look at that creamy texture.

Slow down the mixer and begin to integrate the dry ingredients.  This can become a tad bit messy so make sure to incorporate it in small batches.  Sometimes holding a dish towel around the top of the bowl can also act as a solution.  

Add the chocolate chips, and mix briefly to incorporate. Press plastic wrap against the dough, and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. The dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the bowl of dough from the refrigerator, and allow it to soften slightly. 

I used a standard-size ice cream scoop, which created massive size cookies.  If you prefer smaller cookies, then divvy them up by hand or two spoons as my grandmothers still do.  Sprinkle lightly with sea salt, and bake until golden brown but still soft, 15 to 20 minutes. 

Now, the original recipe suggested that I place a sheet of parchment paper on the baking sheets, but I felt this made it much more difficult to remove the cookies after they had been taken out of the oven. 

Go ahead and indulge.  I'm sure you will be drooling by the time you take the cookies out, so enjoy. 

 Here's the Original Cookie Inspiration and some of the tips I picked up from my cookie research:

1 - Change up the flour mix with cake flour & bread flour 

2 - Chilling the dough for 24-36 hours allows it to soak up all the flavors

3 - Room Temperature Ingredients

4 - Variety of Chocolate - there is always the Toll House option, but I followed a suggestion to tes out Ghiradelli 60% Cacao chips and brought it to a new level

5 - Seasalt perfection...sprinkling a little salt on top gives the cookies a nice sweet and salty combination

6 - Better to take the cookies out a tad bit early rather than late, just to make sure they aren't overdone (and they might taste even better if chilled :)