Two at a Time Baking

I just made a batch of these cookies but this time I cut the salt back to 0.75 tsp and then sprinkled sea salt on top - a definite improvement!  I am still on a mission to figure out the best combination of variables that results in the least amount of spreading and least dark cookie bottom.  Tonight, 2 of the 4 batches came out really well and I can't quite figure out why.  Here are the variables that I am currently contemplating:

• baking sheet vs. jelly roll pan
• parchment paper vs. silicone baking mat vs. greased with butter vs. ungreased
• low vs. middle vs. top oven rack
• whether and when to rotate the baking sheet

I guess I'll just have to do more baking, all in the name of scientific research!

When Erik and I went to NYC last year, my friend Lisa asked us to bring her back some cookies from Levain Bakery.  Always willing to take one for the team, I readily agreed.  I soon learned that Levain specialized in gigantic chocolate chip cookies, uniformly considered to be the best in NYC.  We picked some up on the morning that we were flying home and they are definitely the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever eaten.  A few weeks later, I watched the episode of Bobby Flay's Throwdown in which he took on, and lost to, the Levain Bakery women.  I knew that there were several copycat recipes on the internet.  Inspired by the Throwdown episode, I decided to give them a try.  I was quite pleased with the flavor (though no where near as good as Levain's, they were the best tasting chocolate chip cookies I ever made) but they spread a bit more than I had hoped.  So I made them again a few times, tweaked a few things in the recipe and I am very happy with this version, especially the sea salt.  Erik and I were both craving chocolate chip cookies today. I decided to make these and realized that I had never posted the recipe - so here it is.

Chocolate Chip Cookies, Levain Style
Makes eight 6 oz. cookies
Adapted from Cookie Madness

8 ounces (two sticks) unsalted butter, cold
0.75 cup granulated sugar
0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups bread flour (13.5 ounces)
0.75 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used Trader Joe's)
1 1/3 cups walnut halves or pieces (not toasted)
sea salt

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2.  Beat butter and sugars on low just until they come together.  Don’t overbeat.
3.  Beat eggs in separate bowl, add to batter and beat just until incorporated.
4.  In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt and baking soda.  When thoroughly mixed, add to batter and stir just until blended.
5.  Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts (I stir these in by hand).
6.  The dough should be neither sticky nor dry.  Divide batter into 6 ounce mounds (don't handle batter too much or shape mounds).   Sprinkle mounds with sea salt.
7.  Bake for 19-23 minutes until lightly brown on top.
8.  Cool on sheet for about 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
9.  Enjoy with a glass of cold milk!

As I've written about frequently throughout this blog (here, here, here and here), I love chocolate chip cookies - it's my comfort treat to bake and to eat.  Growing up, my mother and I always baked lots and lots of cookies at Christmas time to share with friends and family and the chocolate chip cookies were always the first to go.  I used to love licking the batter off the beaters (my mother had an old Sunbeam mixmaster that had 2 metal beaters) and I still remember the technique I used to lick them clean.  The first times I made cookies after Erik and I were together, he turned down the opportunity to lick the beaters - I was quite puzzled since I figured everyone did this growing up.  (Puzzled but not terribly disappointed since that meant more for me to enjoy.)

I have been seeking the perfect chocolate chip cookie for some time and I've come to realize this will probably be a lifelong pursuit since tastes change over time.  In the short life of this blog, I've moved past what used to be my favorite chocolate chip recipe.  I'm excited to have found a new favorite recipe, this time from the cookbook Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, by the owners of Baked bakery in Brooklyn.  Because I can't seem to pass up the opportunity to do an experiment, I divided the batter in half before adding the chocolate chips.  To the first half, I added Trader Joe's semisweet chocolate chips. To the other half, I wanted to add bittersweet chocolate chips but I didn't have any chips so I chopped up a bar of Scharffen Berger 70%.  The chopped pieces of Scharffen Berger made the batter look very different since the size of the pieces varied so much.  Based on the taste of the batter, I was convinced I would prefer the cookies baked with the 70% chocolate. The original recipe called for the batter to be refrigerated for 6 hours. Not having the patience for that, I baked 6 cookies from each of the two batters and refrigerated the rest of the batter.  I was surprised to find that Erik and I both liked the cookie with the semisweet chocolate chips better.  (Not sure why I should be surprised though, based on the success of Baked bakery, I should have known that the original recipe would be fabulous).  I'll be interested to see how the cookies come out after the batter has been refrigerated for a while. 

My friend Lisa Rosen recently wrote a great blog post about the importance of using high quality ingredients.  I couldn't agree more.  I have a strong preference for Trader Joe's chocolate chips. I think they are so much better than either Toll House or Ghirardelli.  And I think it makes a big difference in the end result.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 24 cookies
Adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
0.5 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
16 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2.  In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.
3.  Using an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together until smooth and creamy (about 5 minutes), scraping down the sides as needed.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for about 7 seconds after each addition until each is incorporated.  The batter should be light and fluffy at this point.  Add the vanilla and beat for 5 seconds.
4.  Add about half of the flour mixture and mix on the lowest setting of your mixer for about 15 seconds.  Add the remaining flour mixture and mix just until incorporated, about 10 seconds more.
5.  Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.  At this point, you can either bake the cookies or cover and refrigerate the batter for up to about 5 days.
6.  Using an ice cream scoop (approximately 2 tablespoons), place batter onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 1-2 inches in between.
7.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, rotating the pans from front to back and top to bottom oven racks halfway through baking.  The edges should be golden brown and the tops should just be starting to get slightly dark.
8.  Allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool.
9.  Enjoy!