MY DREAM CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

सामग्री

unsalted butter 113 grams/8 tablespoons (1 stick)

1 large egg 50 grams/3 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon (47.5 ml)

pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon (5 ml)

walnut halves 75 grams/¾ cup

all-purpose flour, preferably unbleached 161 grams/ 1⅓ cups (lightly spooned into the cup and leveled off)

baking soda 2.7 grams/½ teaspoon

fine sea salt ¼ teaspoon

light brown sugar, preferably Muscovado 81 grams/¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (firmly packed)

granulated sugar 25 grams/2 tablespoons

golden syrup (or corn syrup) 42 grams/2 tablespoons (30 ml)

dark chocolate chips, 52% to 63% cacao (see Baking Gems) 170 grams (6 ounces)/1 cup

निर्देश

PREHEAT THE OVEN

Twenty minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack at the middle level. Set the oven at 350°F / 175°C.

MISE EN PLACE

Thirty minutes to 1 hour ahead, cut the butter into tablespoon-size pieces. Set on the counter to soften.

Thirty minutes ahead, into the bowl of a stand mixer, weigh or measure the egg. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Cover tightly with plastic wrap.

Brown the Butter: Have ready by the cooktop a 1 cup / 237 ml glass measure with a spout.

In a small heavy saucepan, melt the butter over very low heat, stirring often with a light-colored silicone spatula. Raise the heat to low and boil, stirring constantly, until the milk solids on the spatula have become little brown specks. An instant-read thermometer should read 285° to 290°F / 140° to 143°C. Immediately pour the butter into the glass measure, scraping in the browned solids as well. You should have about 94 grams / ½ cup minus 1 tablespoon / 104 ml. Allow the browned butter to cool to 80°F / 27°C.

Toast and Chop the Walnuts: Spread the walnuts evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Turn the walnuts onto a clean dish towel and roll and rub them around to loosen the skins. Discard any loose skins and let the nuts cool completely, then chop into coarse pieces.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

MAKE THE DOUGH

1. Into the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, add the browned butter with the solids, the sugars, and golden syrup and mix on low speed for 1 minute.

2. Add the flour mixture. Starting on the lowest speed, beat just until the flour is moistened. Continue beating on low speed for 30 seconds, or until well mixed. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts and continue beating just until evenly incorporated.

3. Divide the dough in half (about 345 grams each). Wrap each piece in plastic wrap. If the dough is very sticky, refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

SHAPE THE DOUGH

4. Divide one piece of dough into 11 walnut-size pieces (31 grams each). Roll each piece of dough in the palms of your hands to form a 1½ inch ball.

5. Place the balls 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Flatten the cookies to about 2 inches wide by ½ inch high.

BAKE THE COOKIES

6. Bake for 4 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheet halfway around. Continue baking for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the cookies are just beginning to brown on the tops. When gently pressed with a fingertip, they should still feel soft in the middle.

COOL THE COOKIES

7. Set the cookie sheet on a wire rack and let the cookies cool for 1 minute, or until firm enough to lift from the sheet. Use a thin pancake turner to transfer the cookies to another wire rack. Cool completely.

8. Repeat with the second batch.

नोट्स

My dream chocolate chip cookie has crisp edges and is moist and chewy inside. Here’s how I accomplish that: I brown the butter to remove the water, which promotes crispness and also adds flavor. Then I add golden or corn syrup to make the inside of the cookies moist and chewy. Golden syrup adds a delicious butterscotch note. Unbleached all-purpose flour gives the cookies a slightly chewier texture than bleached flour. I like to add walnuts, but the cookies are still delicious without nuts. And to achieve moist, chewy interiors, I remove them from the oven when the centers are still soft—and eat them while still warm from the oven. I also love the thinner, crisper variation that follows.

Baking Gems

♥ Use your favorite chocolate chips here. My favorites are: Valrhona dark chocolate chips (52% or 60%), and Guittard dark chocolate chips (63%).

♥ Use an AA butter, as a lower quality would result in a lesser amount of browned butter.

♥ It’s also fine to use butter that is softened, not browned, but it will result in a less flavorful and puffier cookie.

♥ For a cookie that is crisp all the way through, bake at 325°F / 160°C for 12 to 14 minutes, until set but still soft. The cookie will become firm and crisp as it cools.

♥ You can freeze the shaped cookie dough to bake at a later time: Freeze it on the cookie sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag. The baking time will be about 2 minutes longer when baked from frozen. For the ideal texture, preheat the oven to 325°F / 160°C and then raise the temperature to 350°F / 175°C once the cookies are in the oven.

VARIATIONS

Many variations work with this cookie base; for example, use a mix of chocolate chips, such as white, milk, and dark chocolate, or use butterscotch chips instead of chocolate. You can use pecans or your favorite nut instead of walnuts, or no nuts at all. You could also add an equal volume of dried fruit, such as cranberries or raisins.

Thin, Crisp, and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Replace the egg with 30 grams / 2 tablespoons / 30 ml milk. This will cause the dough to spread more, so you should use a little less dough for each cookie (the yield will then be greater).

• Replace the chocolate chips with mini chocolate chips and chop the nuts medium-fine.

• Divide each batch of dough into 14 pieces (25 grams / about 2 tablespoons). Roll each piece of dough in the palms of your hands to form a 1⅜ inch ball.

• Place the balls 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Flatten them to about 2 inches wide and ⅜ inch high. (If planning to freeze or refrigerate the shaped dough, flatten them to 2¼ inches.)

• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are just beginning to brown but the entire tops are still soft. Allow the cookies to cool for 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Marvelously fudgy on the inside and deeply chocolaty throughout. It’s especially pleasing to eat these still warm, to experience the little pools of melted chocolate chips contrasting with the fudginess.

• Omit the walnuts and add 19 grams / ¼ cup unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder (sifted into the cup and leveled off) to the flour mixture.

• Add 30 grams / 2 tablespoons / 30 ml brewed espresso or strong coffee, cooled to room temperature, to the egg along with the vanilla.

• Flour your hands lightly when shaping this slightly sticky dough.

• Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, or just until the edges are set and slightly firmer but the tops are still soft.