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
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
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