New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies (metric)
I love aspirational recipes. This well loved one for the New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies got me with the picture. I’ve downloaded or emailed that recipe to myself countless times. There are printouts of it in several drawers in the kitchen because I’m always going to make them this weekend. Then this weekend comes and there is football and lunch to make and laundry to do and the dog has thrown up on the floor and well….they just don’t happen.
There has been a real feeling of nemesis between me and the NYT chocolate chip cookies. They fell into the category of beyond my reach for two reasons:
1. I live in the UK now and the recipe is not written in metric measures. I can’t convert ounces to grams in my head like a rocket scientist so I was stopped at the first hurdle.
2. There is a rest time on the dough for a minimum of 24 hours and up to 72 hours. That level of planning and organization has kept me from making these cookies for literal years.
I have had some time on my hands lately, so I took the leap. My relationship with the recipe being what it is, I have read a lot of the comments underneath it while dreaming of the day when I too may be able to opine on the amount of salt added or if the oven temp was too hot. As when buying clothes online, always read the comments. They will tell you the truth. Or a truth. The key is to find the truth that sounds like you.
The commenter who said the recipe was too fussy because it requires two different kinds of flours and backed it up by calculating the AVERAGE MOISTURE CONTENT in the recommended flours and said it was essentially the same as using one measure of all purpose flour is my hero. I took that advice, used a less aggressive amount of chocolate and didn’t make it to 24 hours on the rest time but they still are a great chocolate chip cookie. I understand I should probably be telling you these cookies are life changing but they aren’t. A chocolate chip cookie shouldn’t change your life. HOWEVER, I will admit that I have been sold on the aging of the dough and will, annoyingly, now have to plan a little better in order to make chocolate chip cookies. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Instructions
If you are lucky enough to have a stand mixer, put the butter and the two sugars into the bowl with what I call the “regular” mixing attachment which is the one that was on it when I bought it. Turn it on about the middle speed and let it run while you measure out the dry ingredients.
If you don’t happen to have a stand mixer you probably have some practice taking that kind of instruction and interpreting it for what you do have in your kitchen. I’m old and so have mixed many cookies by hand with a spoon and the thing that makes the most difference is the temperature of the butter. If you don’t have a stand mixer leave the butter out overnight or soften it in the microwave.
In a different, pretty big bowl measure out the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk it together (or use a spoon) really well. Look at the sugar/butter in the mixer. If it is lighter in color and everything is incorporated, we’re ready for the next step.
Turn off the mixer for a second and lift out the attachment. Push everything that has gone up the sides back down and double check that everything is mixed in at the bottom. If you’re all good, crack one of the eggs and put it in. Mix it in slowly until incorporated. Do the same with the second egg. Keep the mixer on and put in the vanilla. Don’t get the spoon too close to the mixing blade. Lessons learned.
With the mixer running on slow, take the dry ingredients and put them in a bit at a time until they are all mixed in. When you think you’re finished, turn off the mixer, lift up the attachment and double check again that everything is mixed in from the bottom and there aren’t any weird floury patches. When that’s done, take the bowl out of the stand.
Dump all of the chocolate into the bowl. You can stir them in with a big spoon but if you’re up for a good time get in there with your hands and kind of knead them in until they are pretty evenly distributed. Stand back and look at your incredible work.
Now that you have appreciated your accomplishments, you need to just wait. Push cling film directly onto the top of the dough to seal it and put it in the fridge.
Go do something else for as long as you can. If you can make it 24 hours, awesome. Don’t wait longer than 72. I don’t know why, I didn’t test that part but maybe it is like Gremlins and after 72 hours it reproduces an evil version of itself and you won’t know until it is too late. You won’t wait that long. This is chocolate chip cookies.
Now that you’ve gotten some sleep and changed clothes, preheat the oven to 190 C / fan 175 C. Take the dough out of the fridge at the same time.
I won’t lie. It will be rock hard and a little difficult to handle but a metal serving spoon will help and some patience for the first trayful. Here’s where you can take some artistic license. I prefer my cookies to be small enough that I can have two in one sitting but three is too many so I make them about that big. Ping pong ball sized? They will spread a bit in the oven. Make yours as big or small as you would like and put them in the oven until they are just getting golden brown. It will probably be about 11 minutes for the smaller size but you’ll only really know by watching that first batch and adjusting from there because I don’t know your oven.
It is funny to me that most recipes say let them cool. Of course, don’t injure yourself but eat them when you’re ready. I’m not the boss of you.
