This Is It

Yesterday while learning about butter and how to get my cookie to hold that perfect edge and not crumble I came upon a recipe that I had seen earlier this year. I've decided that it will be the cookie dough winner of the cute mini Reese's PB cups.
What I learned about butter was this:
"For mixing and creaming, butter should be about 65 degrees: cold to the touch but warm enough to spread. Just three degrees warmer, at 68 degrees, it begins to melt.
“ 'Once butter is melted, it’s gone,' said Jennifer McLagan, author of the new book “Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, With Recipes” (Ten Speed Press).
Warm butter can be rechilled and refrozen, but once the butterfat gets warm, the emulsion breaks, never to return.
"For clean edges on cookies and for even baking, doughs and batters should stay cold — place them in the freezer when the mixing bowl seems to be warming up. And just before baking, cookies should be very well chilled, or even frozen hard.
"The best way to get frozen or refrigerated butter ready for creaming is to cut it into chunks. (Never use a microwave: it will melt it, even though it will look solid.) When the butter is still cold, but takes the imprint of a finger when gently pressed, it is ready to be creamed.
"When using a stand mixer, attach the paddle blade, and never go above medium speed, or the butter will heat up."
Did you know all that? Now we can all be better bakers.
And now for that recipe...keep in mind that these cookies are supposed to be very large- 5 to 6-inches in diameter! If you have the time, click through on the recipe to read the entire article. I found it very interesting!


Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Jacques Torres
Time: 45 minutes, plus at least 24 hours chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) 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 (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) 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
Sea salt

1. 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.
2. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. 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.
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.
Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Because this recipe had weight measurements, I pulled out my scale and weighed the ingredients instead of measuring them. Wow! I loved doing it that way. So much quicker and cleaner.
I bought a silpat (nonstick baking mat) last week. I"m excited to try it out on these cookies after my dough finishes its stint in the fridge! The dough, by the way, tastes excellent (yes, I licked the rubber spatula after I was finished making the dough, but I didn't double dip because that would be gross).