My boredom typically gets the best of me. I am constantly searching for new types of entertainment (usually always in the form of food). What better way to get through a typically boring day other than to pull a fast one on my boyfriend, and trick him with his "favorite" chocolate chip cookie. Yeah, you heard me- I'm going to willingly trick my boyfriend... and enjoy it. We'll definitely show him who's boss. And besides that, I've been meaning to try out this recipe. There's way too much hype about these cookies online to ignore.
So apparently we've been flip-flopping from one cookie to the next. Recall the original cookie-bake-off? All four of those cookies (which apparently, my boyfriend so immensely adored the Cook's Illustrated one) are now running competitors.
We've started off with the Cook's Illustrated as the favorite. And then I pulled the first fast one by presenting him Alton Brown's "The Chewy", which he soon thereafter moved on to. I did throw in the Neiman Marcus cookie, for shits and giggles, mostly because I knew he'd know they were different.
But now- alas, the prominent New York Times Cookie! The one that stated an exact amount of a full 72 hours in the refrigerator (which, to my fault, could be the reason he disliked them the most the first try). Shall we try this recipe again, but to the T? I think so...
And so, as the process endued, I began to notice slight differences. And yes, I did also have half a leftover batch of "The Chewy" which I used that as a comparison (the fact that it is a leftover batch is obvious given the use of white chocolate chips for Mr. Picky).
In the cookie dough alone, you can notice obvious differences. The NY Times cookie is much darker in appearance, and had a firmer texture than The Chewy. Even the cookies after baking their given times and degrees lead to this stark difference in color.
And after further examination you can notice The Chewy (left) is actually more puffy than anything. It appears as if the inside had prompted the outer shell to expand so much as to form large cracks down the edges. The NY Times cookie (right) on the other hand, appears calm and collected, free of scars and breakage.
So this was the NY Times cookie, with all its spoiled 72+ hours of refrigeration, its two different types of flour, and a brand name attached to it. His dark appearance and flat surface intrigued me. The exterior was so perfect; so round and compact- Basically, they were ready to be eaten.
After enough trickery on my behalf, my boyfriend no longer easily falls for my schemes. He noticed the difference (obviously, I just rambled on for hours of the drastic appearance change), and quickly found out my plan. It didn't take him much to willingly participate in my cookie taste-off, though.
As we both armed each hand with the two types of cookies, we realized we had the end of our chocolate chip cookie quest in sight. We will finally come to a conclusive answer as to which chocolate chip cookie really is the best. And the winner is? Truthfully, all the cookies are great- they really just depend on our moods and the person tasting them. Although my boyfriend and I did choose this cookie as our favorite, I wouldn't be surprised if our opinions changed for the next cookie.
---RECIPE---
Taken from The NY Times.
ingredients:
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1+2/3 cups bread flour
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 natural vanilla extract
1+1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (I just used regular chocolate chips.)
Sea salt (Omitted.)
directions:
1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours. (Finally! A recipe supporting refrigerating dough.)
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
4. Scoop 6 3+1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.
amount:
Makes 1+1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies. (I made more that were much smaller in size.)
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