Kitchen Slave Kwizeen

It's Friday. I have tons to do for the party tomorrow, like make Mirella's iMovie which is taking 10 years to do, and about 20 gazillion other errands that should've been done yesterday. So what better post for today than a lovely recipe to add to my Kitchen Slave Kwizeen e-cookbook. I know the holidays are over, and who's really eating cookies right now besides me, but Valentine's Day is coming up, and these would go straight from his tummy to his heart and then back to his tummy again.


Recipe 2

THE BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies in the world.

Swear.


So I got this recipe off of Amy's blog while I was lurking around there one day, and I couldn't wait to try them out. The only problem was that I could not find the chocolate discs at Whole Foods that are supposed to make this cookie so damn incredible. I had to settle on Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chips---which ended up being just fine and dandy.

The recipe is originally from some French pastry chef/chocolatier named Jacques Torres. Apparently, he has some sensational shops in New York that just sell pastries and tons of chocolate, so this guy obviously knows what he's doing...trying to be God.

Now, I'm not saying my chocolate chip cookie is a good as Jacques', because I'm sure he left out some major secret ingredient that sets his cookies 10 miles apart from mine, but the recipe he shared is la bomba! There is one catch to this recipe, though---these cookies must be eaten warm, about 7 minutes outta the oven to really appreciate the texture and gooeyness of this masterpiece.

Also--there are variations of this recipe out there, but this is the one I like best. So if cake flour is your thing, by all means use it. But in this recipe it's pastry flour all the way....


Ingredients:

1 pound (2 cups) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 pounds (4 cups) Jacques Torres House (60 percent cocoa) Chocolate or other best-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until well combined.
Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies. Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Like Amy, I froze my dough. 24 hours was perfect.

*I used a regular ice cream scoop and for this size left them in the oven for 14 minutes. But I like mine soft, so for a crispier cookie maybe 17-20 minutes would be sufficient.

*Also--I think a paddle attachment on your mixer makes all the difference in the world. I didn't have one, and it was REALLY difficult mixing with all that flour. It can be done, but be prepared to mix in the chocolate chips with a large spoon by hand.

Enjoye!

He did.