These Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies Are Fancy AF

The long and arduous hunt for the perfect chocolate chip cookie is over, thanks to Mr. Chocolate. Who is Mr. Chocolate you ask? Only an award winning pastry chef, turned chocolatier, who dominates the NYC chocolate scene. He is formally known as Jacques Torres.

After becoming a master pastry chef and working as executive pastry chef in the most lucrative NYC restaurants for 11 years, Torres decided to direct his passion towards chocolate and opened up a factory and retail shop in 2004. He now owns a large chocolate manufacturing space in Brooklyn and 9 additional retail stores throughout Manhattan.

But the item that catches most people’s attention is the plate of freshly baked, warm cookies always sitting right near the register. These cookies are hailed by many as The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie. However, you don’t need to book a flight to NYC to enjoy these cookies. Mr. Chocolate released the secrets of his recipe so that everyone can enjoy these goodies right at home.

What makes his recipe for the classic chocolate chip cookie so much better than the rest are the little nuances added that create an award-winning cookie, unlike any other recipe you’ve tried before. First off, the recipe calls for bread and cake flour. That’s right, there’s absolutely no all-purpose flour in these babies. The bread flour adds chewiness to the cookies, while the light airiness of the cake flour adds that necessary crunch.

Secondly, this cookie dough MUST be chilled for at least 24 hours. The added time allows the flavors and flours in the dough to meld for a spectacular cookie.

Thirdly, the recipe calls for specialty chocolate disks. The high-quality chocolate adds an extra dimension and an ooziness to the cookies, since they melt more than your average chocolate chips. If you can’t get your hands on these, don’t worry, the recipe will still be great with any form of dark chocolate. Lastly, the sprinkle of sea salt on each cookie is the perfect offset to the sweet richness of the chocolate.

Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookie

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time: 10 minutesTotal time: 24 minutesServings:20 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cake flour (8.5 oz)
• 1 cup bread flour (8.5 oz)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup room temperature, unsalted butter (2 1/2 sticks)
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar (10 oz)
• 1 granulated sugar (8 oz)
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves (at least 60% cacao content)
• Sea Salt or Fluer de Sel

Instructions

1. 
   

   Sift together cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium sized bowl and set aside.

   #SpoonTip: Try to use a digital food scale to measure out the ounces of the flours.

2. 
   

   In the bowl of an electronic mixer, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy (approx. 3-5 minutes).

3. 
   

   Add in eggs, one at a time, until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Then add in vanilla and mix.

4. 
   

   Gradually add in the dry ingredients and mix until JUST moistened.

   #SpoonTip: Don’t overbeat.

    

5. 
   

   Fold in chocolate until evenly mixed through the dough.

   #SpoonTip: Chocolate disks or fèves are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate or at Whole Foods under the Valrhona brand. If you can’t find/afford these, good chopped up dark chocolate baking bars work well also. Try to stay away from using only chocolate chips since the emulsifiers in the chips lead to less melty, chocolatey fun.

6. 
   

   Press plastic wrap against the dough, making sure it is completely covered, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, or as long as 72 hours.

7. When you are ready to bake, bring the dough to room temperature (around 1 or 2 hours thawing) and preheat oven to 350°F.

8. 
   

   Scoop out 2 tablespoon balls of cookie dough onto lined and/or greased baking sheets.

   #SpoonTip: Don’t press the cookie dough down flat, let it stay the way it is.

9. 
   

   Lightly sprinkle cookies with a little bit of fleur de sel or sea salt. Bake 10-12 minutes for smaller cookies and 18-20 minutes for larger cookies, or until the cookie is golden brown and set on the edges.

10. 
    

    Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet before moving them to a different surface to cool completely. Store in an airtight container and enjoy!