These cookies are big and incredible. They look like the kind of cookie that you’d buy at Starbuck’s. I think these are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made. My friend Ann made a batch. One bite and I was hooked. I knew I had to make them myself. It’s an interesting recipe because it calls for bread flour and cake flour rather than all-purpose flour. It also calls for these chocolate disks made by Jacques Torres. I’m lucky that I have a Jacques Torres chocolate shop in the neighborhood, so it’s easy to buy the chocolate. If you don’t have a shop near you, you can buy the chocolate online.

These are not cookies that will provide instant gratification. You can’t just whip them up and pop them in the oven. You make the dough, then you have to let it rest for more than a day before you can bake it. If you have the time, it’s worth the wait.

I purchased an ice cream scoop just to make these. I have small scoops that I use for smaller cookies, but I wanted these to be big. When I make them, I only use 3 or 4 chocolate disks per cookie. I think that’s plenty. I don’t mix them into the batter like I usually do with chocolate chip cookies. I place them into the ice cream scoop as I’m adding the batter.

Enjoy these cookies. They’re really delicious. Each of my four sons gave these a double thumbs up!

Jacques Torres’ Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe from TheChew.com

2 cups minus to 2 Tablespoons cake flour
1 2/3 cup bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 lbs bittersweet chocolate (or the chocolate disks from Jacques Torres)
sea salt for garnish

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

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. You can also measure the dough into cookie-sized balls and freeze it.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

Scoop six 3 ½ -ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto a large 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, 14 to 18 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.

Yield: ~18 cookies

One year ago: Marinated Swordfish
Two year ago: Irish Cream Caramel Cheesecake
Three years ago: Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad
Four years ago: Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins