Best Chocolate Chip Cookies?

A couple weeks ago I performed a very scientific experiment: are chocolate chip cookies better if you let the dough rest for a few days?  Due to my scientific roots (yeah right) I knew I had to have a control group.  The recipe told me to make the dough and let it sit covered in the fridge for 36 hours.  I made the dough, and made one batch of cookies right away for the control.  Then let the rest of the dough sit in the fridge for 36 hours, then baked the rest.  Yes, having dough sitting in your fridge is difficult, but I'm happy to say I didn't munch on it!  Please read on for the dramatic conclusion...

Sift flours, (recipe calls for cake and bread flour, I just used regular flour) baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside.

Using a mixer cream butter and sugars together until very light, around five minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Stir in vanilla.

Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. 

Drop chocolate pieces and stir to combine. 

For the control group I made a batch of six cookies right after finishing the dough.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and scoop golf ball sized pieces of dough and put on the baking sheet.  Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, around 18 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.  For the dough that you want to let sit, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 24-36 hours.  I let rest for 36 hours, and then followed the same directions I typed above.

This is the control cookie.  It was pretty good, I mean it IS a chocolate chip cookie after all, most taste pretty good!  It was soft, and the sea salt gave it a little extra flavor on top.  It made me very excited to try the "rested" cookies.

And THIS is the best chocolate chip cookie ever.  I do agree that letting the dough rest makes your cookies better,  I can't exactly explain why, but it works.  I would say these were softer than the control group, the edges were a little crunchy and it was perfect.  I felt like I could taste the vanilla flavor more in the cookie too.  Lesson learned!  I will be seeing if this applies to all cookies as I go forward, I'll report back :) 

Happy Monday everyone!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from: Jacques Torres

2 cups minus two tablespoons cake flour

1 2/3 cups 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 light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks (at least 60% cacao content)

sea salt

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl; set aside.

Using a mixer cream butter and sugars together until very light.

Add in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Stir in the vanilla.

Reduce speed to low and add the dry ingredients until just combined.

Drop chocolate pieces into the mixture and combine.

Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24-36 hours. 

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop golf ball sized pieces of dough onto the baking sheet.

Sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake for around 18 minutes, until golden brown, but still soft.

Transfer to a wire rack until cooled completely.

Eat warm and be happy!