I present to you David Lebovitz’s recipe for chocolate chip cookies. In my opinion these are the best cookies in the world (that I can make). The ingredients are pretty standard but there’s one step in this process that makes this recipe different. Once you’ve made the dough you divide it into four pieces and refrigerate it for 24 hours, so you need to plan this recipe in advance.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (8 ounces/225 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (215 g) packed light brown sugar
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups (about 225 g) nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, or macadamia nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
- 14 ounces (400 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped into ½- to 1-inch (1.5- to 3-cm) chunks or 3 cups (340 g) chocolate drops
1 – In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
2 – In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium speed just until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, then stir in the flour mixture followed by the nuts and chocolate chunks.
3 – On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into quarters. Shape each quarter into a log about 9 inches (23 cm) long. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, preferably for 24 hours.
4 – Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
5 – Slice the logs into disks ¾ inch (2 cm) thick and place the disks 3 inches (8 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets. If the nuts or chips crumble out, simply push them back in.
6 – Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway through baking, until the cookies are very lightly browned in the centres for about 10 minutes. If you like soft chocolate chip cookies, as I do, err on the side of under baking.
7 – Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets until firm enough to handle, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack.
Storage: The dough logs can be refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month. The baked cookies will keep well in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do and feel free to share it using the buttons below.
