Chocolate Chip Cookies, from Flour (Joanne Chang)

This is my most successful cookie recipe, taken from the cookbook Flour, by Joanne Chang. I haven’t quite replicated the ones I got in her store, but getitng closer. Some modifications from @BraveTart helped, regarding temperature and butter creaming. The cookies stay fresh up to 3 days, dough up to a week, both in an airtight container.

Ingredents

Due to my American-ness, I’ve ened up using grams for weight measures, and imperial for volume, due to the tools I have at hand. Sorry.

• 238g unsalted butter, at 50f (partially warmed from fridge)
• 150g granulated sugar
• 165g light brown sugar
• 2 medium eggs, cold from refridgerator.
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 140g unbleached all-purpose flour
• 150g bread flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 255g coarsely chopped dark chocolate (quality is important)
• 70g coarsely chopped milk chocolate (quality is important)

Dough

If the butter goes above 70f or so, it will start to lose structure. Starting with cold butter, and then adding cold eggs helps to avoid this. The chocolate has best results if roughly chopped from a large bar. The range of sizes adds texture. It’s ok to substitue chocolate chips, but it won’t look as nice.

1. With butter at 50 degrees f, cream granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and butter together. Roughly 5 minutes in a stand mixer, 10 minutes with a hand mixer. You will need beefy arms to do by hand. Do this until fluffy and lightened in color.
2. Scrape down the bowl
3. While mixing, add the cold eggs and vanilla. Continue until thoroughly mixed.
4. In a medium bowl, combine all purpose flour, bread flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix thoroughly.
5. Add dark and milk chocolate to the dry ingredients, and toss to combine.
6. Fold dry ingredients into wet, with a stiff wooden spoon or similar. Continue only until no dry spots are observed.
7. Rest in the fridge, 12-36 hours in an airtight container. This allows the flour to fully hydrate, and deepens the flavor without making the cookie tough.
8. You can portion the dough now, or wait until baking.

Baking

Be careful not to overbake these, they stay soft and keep well only if left soft in the center.

1. Preheat oven to 350f
2. Line a half sheet pan in parchment paper.
3. Make 1/4 cup balls of dough.
4. Space them 2 inches apart on the parchment lined pan.
5. Flatten each ball slightly by pressing into the pan, this helps it bake evenly.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown on edges, and pale / soft in center.
7. Let cool on pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

I’ve also had success baking them in a toaster oven, at 320f for 13 minutes. Adjust to your oven as needed.

Enjoy!