Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jacques Torres is an exceptionally talented French pastry chef, but did his 36 hour chocolate chip cookie recipe impress me? Read on to find out!

Alright, so it that time of year when cookies are around every corner in my house. They're sneaking up and taunting me until I am no longer an acceptable size to be seen in public. So, not being one to miss out on the prime cookie season, I decided to try the famous Jacques Torres 36 hour chocolate chip cookies recipe I have read so much about.

Let me just say, I'm disappointed. Not only do these cookies take forever to make (which in its own way is convenient because they can be made in batches for up to 72 hours) but they just aren't my classic chocolate chip cookie. Yes, I am biased when it comes to cookies. I hate a dry, hard crunchy cookie. Hate them - and when these cookies first pop out of the oven, they look beautiful and chewy and great. The next morning though, hard. Shame that I'll just have to keep eating those cookies I swiped from my papa instead.

To top it all off, I really just didn't see the 'Wow' factor in these cookies. I know some people like a little crunch in their cookie, I know these are some of the most blogged about chocolate chip cookies ever, but give me the back of a bag of Nestles morsels and put my dad to work because that's where its at.

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Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Jacques Torres Featured in NY Times

Ingredients:

• 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
• (8 ½ ounces) cake flour
• 1 ⅔ cups (8 ½ ounces) bread flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 ½ sticks (1 ¼ cups) unsalted butter
• 1 ¼ cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
• Sea salt.

Preparation:
Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

Scoop 6 3 ½-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

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What do you think?

Does the Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookie recipe impress you enough to bake a batch?