We’re bringing our oldest back up to college tomorrow and ALL summer she’s been begging me to make these, so I thought it would be a good thing for her to have a touch of home while she adjusts her first week.
And I know, I know, practically every food blogger has made these cookies.
But we had to at least try them.
And I had to find out for myself if the were the absolute best chocolate chip cookies as I’d heard they were.
In my book, nothing beats a good ol’ Toll House chocolate chip cookie.
Those are my favorite!
So, here goes.
Oh, and I added something extra to take away the guilt of just eating a 20-inch cookie.
Ok, they weren’t that big, but they were much larger than any cookie I’ve ever had!
The “Healthier” Chocolate Chip Cookie – adapted from Jacques Torres by way of the NY Times
1 2/3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup flax seed meal (*my secret healthy ingredient* – if you want to omit this, then add another 1/2 cup of cake flour to bring the total to 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds or 5 bars of Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate with 60 percent cacao content
Sea salt.
Sift flours, flax meal, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl; set aside.
(Note: There was some flax meal left in the sifter, but most of it went through. The remainder that didn’t, I just dumped into the bowl.)
Cut chocolate bars into 1/4-inch pieces. Place into a small bowl and set aside.
In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add sugars and continue beating until very light, about 5 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add the vanilla.
Reducing mixer speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Fold chocolate pieces in, making sure to bring dough up from the bottom of the bowl to incorporate.
Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 hours or more. It can be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
When ready to bake, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using an ice cream scooper, mold the dough into the size of generous golf balls and place them onto baking sheet.
Note: These will spread so do not place them close together!
Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
Bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes.
Place cookie sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then transfer cookies to another rack to cool some more.
Repeat with remaining dough, or refrigerate to bake the remaining dough the next day.
Rumor has it that the cookies taste better the longer the dough is refrigerated.
And DON”T forget to add that coarse sea salt before you put them into the oven! It really makes the cookie!
The recipe said it would make 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies. Mine were about 4 inches and I made 7 of them in the first batch and I still have a lot of dough for more cookies tomorrow. I’m thinking there is definitely going to be more than 18 cookies. I’ll be back with the final verdict.
Comments & Reviews
These look amazing! I’ve had this recipe in my list of things to try for ages now.
I love you for making my favorite cookie healthy!
I’m probably the only blogger on the planet who hasn’t tried these. I’m loyal to my favorite chocolate chip cookie, but you’re review is making me need to try these. I’m sending my youngest back to college next week, and I agree, every child needs to be sent off to college with a batch of cookies.
Oh my, your cookies do look amazing.
Lisa~~
Cook Lisa Cook
I’m saving this recipe to bake soon, after i scale down! I’m afraid I might end up eating them all!!!
(love the addition of flax meal)
I made a version of these last year, and they really were delicious!! The only problem is that now my family keeps asking me to make them again 😉
These sound delicious but I was wondering if I can use regular white flour? I rarely buy cake flour or even bread flour – in fact I feel bad enough using white flour but so far I can’t find a tasty cookie that uses whole wheat flour.
MaryPat, you could probably use white flour, I just can’t verify how the outcome would taste having not used it in this recipe. Having said that, I do use unbleached all-purpose flour in most of my cookie recipes and they turn out great.
I know Joy the Baker has a recipe on her blog to make your own cake flour at home and there’s probably even a homemade bread flour recipe out there somewhere. I love Google!!
If you make it with the white flour, come back and leave me a comment – would love to hear how they turn out!
Thanks!
Please put me on your mailing list as I love baking and would like to get all your recipes as you put them out.
Many thanks!
Barb
Barbara, you’ve been added! Thank YOU so much for wanting to be a part of 365. I look forward to bringing you many more delicious recipes!
Have a great weekend!