A few months ago I finally made the famous New York Times’ Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe and completely fell in love. Since then, it’s been one of my favorite recipes.
I’ve made it a few times now and learned a few things, so I thought I’d share some photos of a recent batch I baked along with some things I learned.
When I first made this recipe, I had a lot of questions. There are so many particulars with this recipe and I wondered if they were necessary. Here are my answers so far.
Do I really need to use chocolate disks? Chocolate disks are more expensive and harder to get, so are they really necessary. The chocolate disks ensure that there is chocolate running throughout the entire cookie and in every bite you take. So in that sense, yes it does make a difference between using chocolate disks and using regular chocolate chips.
However, sometimes when I’m out of chocolate disks, I will use Ghiradelli chips as a substitute. Ghiradelli chips are bigger than the standard chocolate chips. They are still smaller than chocolate disks, but it’s a pretty good and cheaper substitution if you are desperate to make these cookies and don’t have all the ingredients.
Do I really need to refrigerate the dough for 24-36 hours? Yes, it definitely makes a difference. There are definitely more flavors that come out with the refrigeration of the dough.
Can I freeze the cookie dough? Yes! This is probably the biggest thing I learned and it’s let me enjoy these cookies whenever I want rather than having to wait 24-36 hours each time I’m craving them. Usually, I’ll make a big batch and let it sit in the fridge for the required time. After 36 hours, I take any unused dough and stick it in the freezer. When I want to use it, I defrost the dough and immediately bake after the dough has defrosted. And they still taste really good.
NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons 8 1/2 ounces cake flour
- 1 2/3 cups (8.5 oz) bread flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
- 2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups (10 oz) light brown sugar
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp (8 oz) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp natural vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 pd bittersweet chocolate disks at least 60 percent cacao content
- sea salt
Instructions
- 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.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
- 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.
Notes
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Hi Kirbie, I made these cookies once before and they came out so good. I decided to make them again today and I just want to know when you make the cookies, do you measure the flours and sugar by weight or do you use measuring cups? I wanted to make sure the ingredients were exact, but when I weighed the flours and sugars on my scale, the measurements didn’t match what was stated on the recipem meaning the weight in ounces. It was off a bit. I just hope they turn out good again. Thanks.
Hi Chris- I always measure out the flours and sugars by cups. The only time I use the scale is when I weigh out the cookie dough ball that is going to be baked. So if you did it with measuring cups I think you should be fine.
Yummy! I buy the guittard chocolate which comes in discs, so I’d be happy to sell you some of them next time I have them, I also buy my cake flour in 50lb bags and am happy to share that for future experiments!
I’ll have to try this recipe, I’m never 100% with my choc chip cookies. I was happy with the doubletree ones for a while…
Oh wow, that’s a lot of cake flour. Last time I bought a big box from Amazon. I thought I’d go through it quickly, but I’ve barely touched it! So I think I’m okay on the cake flour front. Oh I’ve never tried guittard. Let me know next time you have some and I’d be happy to buy some off of you. I usually get my supply at Surfas but it’s easy to go through my supply fast since each batch of these require so much chocolate. But then it gives me a reason to have to go back to that store. I love that place. haha
The NY Times recipe is definitely my go-to for chocolate chip cookies! And I once questioned all of the specifics as well, but they really do make a difference!
Yeah this is def one recipe I try not to mess with too much. Just a few tiny things to make it more accessible.
Thanks for all that information! I have yet to make these cookies but they are on my list.
Oooh, you must try these chocolate chip cookies! They are really amazing and it’s hard to eat any other recipe after. Well I can eat other recipes, but not side by side with these.
These cookies look so delicious! So glad I found your blog, new follower! xoxo
Aw, thanks!
Hi there, your cookies look so good!
I’ve tried this, but why do my cookies spread when being baked? They became thin and wide, unlikely yours.
Any tips? 🙂 thank you so much, Kirbie!
Hmm, there are two issues I thought of. Do you let your oven finish preheating before you pop in the cookies? Because if you put them in the oven before it’s finished preheating, they will start to melt before baking properly and that can cause them to be thin. The other thing is, do you bake the dough right out of the refrigerator? If you let the dough sit to room temperature, it will become soft and likely spread in the oven. If you bake them straight out of the fridge, they are still firm and so they won’t spread as much when baking. Hope this helps!
check the expiration dates on your baking powder and baking soda!
I’ve been on a binge making these for a couple of months. I have used the big chocolate disks and I have used “regular” sized dark chocolate chips. Our local “superstore” has Callebaut chocolate pieces that are in between the two sizes and I really like the cookies using those. I, too, think it’s important to use the two flours called for, and I weigh out all my ingredients. I usually wait the 36 hours. I did have some dough that rested more like 48 hours and it suffered a little, I felt. Still tasty cookies, but not as good as at the 36 hour mark.
I haven’t seen the Callebaut chocolate pieces at any of the stores near me. Too bad. I’ll look again next time. I like to wait 36 hours whenever possible. I haven’t gone over 36, so it’s good to know that they do suffer after that. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
hi kirbie
that was probably the best chocolate cookie i’ve ever had! and wow, it was a jacques torres recipe too. if you are ever in nyc/soho, you must go to his store and try his macarons and chocolate covered cornflakes (although that’s pretty easy to make).
what brand of flours do you recommend?
Oh I definitely need to add Jacques Torres’ store to my NYC list! I have a whole list going though I don’t actually know when I can visit! haha. might not be for a while since this year I’m going to Taiwan and next year I will need to save vacation time for honeymoon and wedding. Maybe I can fit in a three-four day trip some weekend…hmm.
for bread flour, I usually use whatever is cheapest. Since I bake so much, I started buying the Costco bread flour, but I’ve used the store brands like Ralphs, etc with no problems. For cake flour, I usually use Swan’s.
thanks for the flour rec’s. i don’t bake too often so i didn’t realize there was such a thing as ‘cake’ flour. duh on me.
also another place to visit in nyc is mariebelle chocolate boutique. try their hot chocolate. mmmm.
and bouchon macarons if you go to columbus circle. they have 2 sizes. normal and huge! both are great!
Oh cake flour is a wonderful thing. I didn’t know about it either until I starting baking with the blog. It’s lighter than all purpose flour and makes cupcakes and other baked goods have a much lighter, soft texture. Usually all my favorite cupcake batters use cake flour and also sponge cakes and chiffon cakes often use cake flour.
I will write down mariebelle and bouchon. Oh how funny about bouchon. Just about an hour ago, I asked my siblings to get me some from the one in Vegas at the Venetian because they are going there this weekend. They will probably be too lazy to get it for me, but I’m hoping they will be generous and get me some because I’ve been hearing how big and good they are.
thanks again for the cake flour rec’s. i will look for swan’s at the store next time. i want to make these cookies!
fyi – here’s my jacques torres post (old! from 07), which also includes mariebelle…
https://pinkcandlesatridgemonthigh.blogspot.com/2007/07/soho.html
and here is bouchon
https://pinkcandlesatridgemonthigh.blogspot.com/2007/07/anhm-naked-statues-macarons.html
Thanks for the links! The swan’s isn’t in a flour bag like all purpose flour. It’s in a box, sort of looks like cake mix box. Usually red color box.
I love this cookie recipe! It’s become my cc cookie standard. I also use Ghiradelli chips in a pinch (mainly because that’s what they sell at Costco). And, I’ve played around with using some white whole wheat flour (more than 1/3 of the total flour makes it too wheaty) and, uh, kind of just using AP flour. I think the key is the long rest period more than the flours.
The ones you brought to the bbq crawl were really good! One didn’t last the ride home and the other was eaten the next day.
Interesting note on the flours. I thought it was the bread and cake flour that gave it the texture so I didn’t dare try AP flour. Yes, I used Ghiradelli since they sold it at Costco, but it looks like they stopped! I tried two Costcos and couldn’t find it. So glad you liked the ones from the BBQ crawl. I ate one of the ones leftover in the car ride between our second and third stop. Lol.
Hi Kirbie! Have you ever put the frozen dough directly into the preheated oven to see how that turned out? I’ve done that with a couple of different chocolate chip cookie doughs and it’s worked okay with except of needing to dial down the temp just a little bit. Just wondering since that would make it even easier.
I haven’t yet tried that because I stick the entire dough into the freezer, and don’t have it separated out into the 3.5oz chunks. Though you are right it would make it easier. I’m not sure how much I’d have to fiddle with the baking time though. I’ll have to try it out next time.