Chocolate Chip Cookies, my favorite recipe

I love cookies. I think it is something about the salty/sweet combination that really does me in. In a perfect world, chocolate chip cookies are my favorite. Yet the perfect chocolate chip cookie is rather elusive. Not to mention, depending on the season, time of day, or what kind of day I am having, what constitutes the perfect CCC changes. Some days I want nothing but soft goodness, other days I like a little crisp on the outside, and some days I like chewy.



All this considered, I think I have found my perfect CCC recipe. It may not be yours, and I won't take offense if it's not, but I do think this recipe has a little of all the types in ones. It's worth a go anyhow. Jacques Torres is kind of a big deal, so he must be able to lend something to the world of CCC's. So here is the recipe, courtesy of Jacques: (I usually half this recipe, or freeze the other half, and I use regular all purpose flour without any issues, and Ghiradelli semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips)



Makes twenty-six 5-inch cookies or 8 1/2 dozen 1 1/4-inch cookies


1 pound 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 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.


The result: