Monday, March 7, 2011

Real Chocolate Chip Cookies



I bake frequently, usually trying new recipes that I find online or see in magazines.  This weekend, I was clearing out stuff in our apartment and came across a giant stack of food articles and recipes that I've printed over the last few years.  This New York Times article was so alluring that I couldn't stop myself from making chocolate chip cookies last night.

It seems unbelievable, but I haven't made basic chocolate chip cookie since I moved into this apartment four years ago.  I decided to use the classic Toll House recipe but threw in a few tips that I picked up in this piece. I love that a large portion of the article focuses on the techniques that are used at City Bakery, one of my favorite places.  I took owner Maury Rubin's advice and I made the dough, then put it in the refrigerator for a few hours.  City Bakery lets the dough sit for 36 hours before baking it but I didn't have that much time.  Even after letting it sit for only three hours, the dough was drier and actually tasted better.  The cookies had a richer, buttery flavor and a great texture. 

I used a smaller scoop than I usually do so these cookies are almost bite-size and just a tad tinier than my usual cookies.  Realizing that I don't need a whole batch hanging around at home, I took half to work.  My co-workers seemed to love them.  One of our interns (who bakes fabulous breads and generously shares frequently) even asked which recipe I used since they were more flavorful than regular chocolate chip cookies.  All in all, a worthy experiment.  Next time, I'll think ahead and let the batter sit for at least a day to get maximum flavor, and maybe even add some sea salt to the tops.



Photo courtesy of New York Times

1 comment:

Lisa said...

Oh boy, I've heard many good things about this cookie. From the look of your pic, they really do seem like the best. I have a sweet treat linky party going on at my blog and I'd like to invite you to stop by and link your cookies up. http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/2011/03/sweets-for-saturday-8.html