These cookies. Oh. My. Word.
Not only are they delectable, but they're SO PRETTY. I had to refrain from taking a picture of every. single. one.
You might know these cookies as the New York Times chocolate chip cookie. Or maybe the Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookie. I came across them years ago via my cousin via Orangette via the New York Times via David Leite via Jacques Torres. I'm pretty sure Jacques got the recipe from Kevin Bacon.
I've made them before and they needed to be made again.
What you need to know is this:
- if you are a lover of chocolate chip cookies, you need to make these.
- the dough requires a 36 hour resting period.
- there are 2.5 pounds of chocolate in here!
- the resulting cookies are chewy, salty, majorly chocolatey, cookie heaven.
The recipe here is for a BIG batch of BIG cookies...around 48 or so depending on how large you make them (you'll see in a minute) and how much cookie dough you consume during the 36 hour resting period. I'm guessing I ate at least 4 cookies worth of dough.
For my rendition, I added a bit of cinnamon. Not so much that these taste like Snickerdoodles, but just enough to enhance the chocolate flavor. If you didn't know it was in there, you probably wouldn't guess cinnamon, just that the cookies are really special. (I like to add a bit of cinnamon in my pancake batter as well.)
*update 9-2017: when I have time, these are my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. I don't always add the cinnamon. Either way, they're the perfect cookies.*
*update 9-2017: when I have time, these are my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. I don't always add the cinnamon. Either way, they're the perfect cookies.*
For the chocolate...I used three kinds, all on the dark side of the spectrum, but three high-quality brands to make things more interesting.
Once the dough has chilled and rested, you'll measure out the dough for baking. The NYT recipe reads "3.5 ounces or the size of a generous golf ball." Hmm. A generous golf ball seems like one that would roll closer to the hole, but I digress. 3.5 ounces is closer to a baseball in my book and makes for a HUGE cookie. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)
I tried 2.5 ounces, and ended up settling on 3 ounces. Not that big of a difference, but I'd probably stick with 3 next time.
I can't recommend a kitchen scale strongly enough here. I resisted buying one for years and I'm surprised by how much I use mine now. You'll want it for scooping out the dough and for measuring ingredients.
This one is thin, light, easy to store, and inexpensive. I love the tare feature which allows you to set a bowl on the scale, then zero out the weight.
The Six Degrees of Separation/New York Times/Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe...Bake at 350 version
{makes about 40-48 cookies}
[NOTE: cinnamon may be omitted entirely or replaced with 1 teaspoon almond extract added with the vanilla.]
17 ounces cake flour
17 ounces bread flour
2 & 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (optional)
2 & 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
20 ounces light brown sugar
16 ounces granulated sugar
4 eggs
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 & 1/2 pounds (at least 60%) chocolate chips/discs (Guittard, Scharffen Berger, Ghirardelli)
fleur de sel for sprinkling
Sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a LARGE bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one a a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla.
In low speed, add in half of the flour, mixing just until incorporated. Repeat with the remaining flour. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least 36 hours. (Alternately, scoop the dough into 3-ounce portions, then chill.)
After 36 hours, preheat oven to 350. Line two cookie sheets with parchment. Scoop the dough onto the cookie sheets anywhere from 2.5 to 3.5 ounces, but stick to one size per sheet for even baking. (I found it easier to loosen the dough with a spoon, then scoop it with a cookie scoop.)
Sprinkle with fleur de sel.
Sprinkle with fleur de sel.
Bake for 16-19 minutes, depending on size. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the center are set. Remove from oven and let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Are they worth the 36 hour wait time? YES!!!!!!!!!!! Am I a little sorry that we packed them all up and sent them to school for Jack's teachers during finals week, and I'm writing about them with no cookies in sight? YES!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why do these need to rest for 36 hours? I'm curious as to the cookie chemistry behind this!
ReplyDeleteI have the same question.
Delete-Ajeena
www.perfectingjoy.com
It has to do with allowing enough time for the eggs to fully soak into the flour creating a drier batter. http://leitesculinaria.com/51375/writings-david-leite-chocolate-chip-cookies.html
DeleteThank you!
Delete-Ajeena
www.perfectingjoy.com
Because Jacques Torres says so. :) Just kidding. My take: The flour will really soak up the liquid and the resulting flavor after the sit is just....better. (Not that they'd be bad baked right away.) I actually let my pancake and waffle batter sit for 30 minutes or so before cooking to let that flour soak up the liquids. I think they taste better and are fluffier that way.
DeleteThat makes sense. What about cake and brownie batter?
Delete-Ajeena
www.perfectingjoy.com
Thank you for the response to my question! I made these over the weekend and oh. my. They are absolutely amazing. My new go-to recipe!!!!!
DeleteI have the same question - 36 hrs?
ReplyDeleteplease see above. :)
DeleteIt's funny, sometimes I will follow a recipe for years and then for some reason I do not have the 36 hours to rest the cookies, for instance, and find it did not make any difference. Lol. I just love your blog, Bridget. It is one of three I visit each day~ Blessings to you.
ReplyDelete6 degrees of OMG I want every stinking one of these beauties!!
ReplyDeleteYummy! I love chocolate chip cookies.. with milk or tea.
ReplyDeleteThese cookies look amazing! I agree that the "resting" time allows for the gluten to form and the flour to dry, the flavors blend together. Just like macarons need to rest to have a better shell... Except these are way tastier! Hah!
ReplyDeleteyes!
DeleteOMG you almost made me spit my coffee out with the line "I'm pretty sure Jacques got the recipe from Kevin Bacon." I have seen this recipe before but the whole wait for 36 hours before you eat the cookies thing has always derailed me. However, since I currently have a half a batch of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies in my cookie jar, maybe today's the day! They sure are beautiful :)
ReplyDeleteHaha...I'm so glad someone reads the post! ;)
DeleteI must have 461 chocolate chip cookie recipes and I'm still looking for new ones!
ReplyDeleteLove these gooey looking ones. Gotta see for myself how good they must taste.
They look like a very fine specimen of chocolate chip cookie. Thank you for the warning about the 36 hours though - that would suck if I hadn't read the recipe (which I always do, come on... ;-/ )
ReplyDeleteNow this is some major cookie perfection! Love!!
ReplyDeleteValuable information ..I am delighted to read this article..thank you for giving us this useful information. Great walk-through. I value this post.
ReplyDeleteBridget,
ReplyDeleteI have made these cookies since you posted the recipe a couple of years ago (?). THEY ARE FANTASTIC! I have been on a diet since February (too many CC cookies!) and haven't baked too much because of it but I have been craving these cookies for a while now. Might have to mix a batch up after work.
Hope you and your family are ok in TX with all the rain lately.
I've been making these for years. I call them 'dry-aged' chocolate chip cookies. Ah-mazing!
ReplyDeleteThis is our favorite cookie too! I never make chocolate chip cookies any other way any more!!
ReplyDeleteOh man, I've been wanting to try this recipe for so long but cannot get over the amount of butter! Maybe I'll try halfing it and just making smaller cookies... because these are calling my name and I'm not one to resist choco chip cookies. Photographs are mouth-watering, as always!
ReplyDeleteBridget,
ReplyDeleteOnly four cookies worth of dough? I would have eaten a whole lot more. They look delicious.
Annamaria
Bridget,
ReplyDeleteI made this over the weekend and they were amazing! Thank you for the recipe!
While I only use your sugar cookie recipe (no refrigeration required - love it!), what about letting the dough "age" or "rest" for 36 hours? Would that make a difference with a sugar cookie recipe?
Thank you!!
J
your golf ball comment . . . i died.
ReplyDeleteyour golf ball comment . . . i died.
ReplyDeleteMy family loves these cookies I used white chocolate pudding they were so soft and yummy this recipe is a keeper.
ReplyDeletehttp://tasteusa.blogspot.com/
My go to chocolate chip recipe. Now handed down to my son who is baking for a Christmas cookie swap. Always come out perfect!!
ReplyDeleteWow Great information on this blog thanks for this wonderful info.
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ReplyDeleteHahaha. Cracked up at the Kevin Bacon reference. I've made these cookies many times and they are so good! I've tried so many recipes that I can't even remember which one is my favorite, but I do know that this one is high on the list.
ReplyDeleteWill this recipe work as written at high altitudes (4000+ ft above sea level)? If not, what changes need to be made?
ReplyDeleteHi Amanda! I'm sorry to say that I've never baked at high altitude, so I'm not sure. I wonder if there's a high altitude baking site that would help?
DeleteYou must have an enormous stand mixer! I can barely fit a standard batch of the Jacques Torres cookies in my KitchenAid.
ReplyDeleteFor those of us non-baking-enthusiast types, a clarification that the ingredient volumes noted in OZ are referencing weight, not volume, would be exceedingly helpful. I just wasted $20 or $30 in ingredients, a few hours at the store and at home gathering supplies and mixing it all up, only to end up with these sugar-butter mini pancakes that have the consistency of sun-bleached fiberglass.
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