I made the Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe aka NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. Are they the best cookie? I actually think they might be. Fussy and time consuming, but 100% worth it!
These cookies are incredible but these are still my favorite chocolate chip cookies.
The Famous Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies
Can you believe after all the years I’ve been baking cookies I have never once fallen victim to the hype of the famous (or infamous) Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe? It was just one of those cookie recipes that was annoying to me in SO many ways. Two types of flour? Annoying. Multiple days of chill time? Eye roll. Special chocolate? Pretentioussssss. Yet here I am. Fully admitting that I was wrong. I mean, the NY Times declared it the best…so it was definitely worth a go!
What Changed My Mind?
Here’s the deal. When I did my Best Online Bakery Challenge a few weeks ago, Jacques Torres was one of the cookies we ordered. Friends, they were BAD. Totally stale. They had clearly been sitting on the shelf for at least a week before they even shipped out. BUT, I knew they had crazy potential. The chocolate ratio, the perfect size and thickness…I could tell that if these cookies were fresh, they would have been contenders. But they weren’t, and that challenge was all about what to buy online.
Anyhow, I knew I had to finally try the dang recipe. So I did. And then I did again. And then again 2 more times. Because people, they are good. Also, I wanted to test some shortcut options to give you. Unfortunately, I really have none. You need to follow it as-is. I’ll tell you why.
Why Two Types of Flour?
The Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookie recipe calls for 2 types of flour. This was the biggest hump for me. I was like COME ON NOW.
You use a combo of bread flour and cake flour. The difference in these is the protein content which is what is related to the amount of gluten that is formed. For example, bread flour has 14-16% protein, and cake flour has 7-8%. To create a dense, chewy bread, you will use bread flour, because as the dough is kneaded the amount of gluten that is formed creates the texture. And likewise, with a cake, you use cake flour because it has a lower protein amount, also you mix it much less to produce less gluten, giving it an airy, soft texture.
My point is, all purpose flour has 10-12% protein…so I thought why go to all the trouble of using these two flours when I could use all purpose and it’s basically right there in the middle. Makes sense, right?
Well, when I made the cookies for the first time I followed it to a “t”. The second time I started experimenting. Out went the bread and cake flour, and in went the all purpose. Were the cookies bad? No. Were they as good as the bread/cake flour combo? No. The texture with the all purpose produced a good, fairly typical cookie. The combo of the two gave the edges a chewy texture, with the center still soft and gooey. I don’t know the science and magic behind it, but it’s definitely worth the trouble.
Why Chill the Cookie Dough?
Second, I tried them without chilling. Again, were they bad? No. Were they AS good as the chilled dough? No. The flavor in the chilled cookies was noticeably richer, because as the dough chills, it dries out slightly concentrating the flavor, and giving you crispier, chewier edges. Also chilling the dough gives the gluten in the dough a chance to relax, again, adding to the crispier texture of the edges. And the color deepens as well, so you have a beautiful deep colored cookie, as opposed to a pale one.
One slight change I made to the recipe (and think is an improvement) is using chopped dark chocolate instead of chunks or disks. The difference in taste is only slight, but I preferred the look of the chopped chocolate cookie. The chopped chocolate cookie (which is what is photographed here) is just pretttttyyyy.
What Kinds of Sugar to Use
The slightly unusual measurements of the sugars was kind of silly to me, to be honest. I mean, 1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar? So, I tried it with just a cup for simplicity. Did it make an enormous difference? Again, no. But that extra 2 tablespoons, I guess just adds to the magic. The more sugar in a cookie recipe adds to the spread, browning, and crispiness of the edge. So go the extra mile and measure out the two tablespoons.
Salted or Unsalted Butter?
Also unsalted butter…I am a huge baking no-no in many ways, and using salted butter is one of them. I pretty much always use salted. Sue me. BUT I did try the unsalted in the recipe with the salt that was listed in the original recipe and added the flaked salt on top, as stated. I didn’t notice too much of a difference when I used salted on another batch and omitted the additional salt in the original recipe (but still sprinkled sea salt on top), so I don’t think this is a huge issue.
So I guess my takeaway on this chocolate chip cookie recipe is DEFINITELY try them. Measure the flour properly with the spoon and sweep method. Don’t pack your flour today or EVER. Also, use your food scale to measure the cookie weight. And buy the dang bread & cake flour.
They aren’t an everyday recipe in a pinch, but they are absolutely the cookie you make when you’re looking to impress.
xo
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Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
I made the Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe aka NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookie. Are they the best chocolate chip cookie? I actually think they might be. Fussy and time consuming, but 100% worth it!
Ingredients
- 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 ½ ounces) cake flour
- 1 2/3 cups bread flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/4 cups butter, room temperature (I used salted)
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ pounds chopped dark or semi-sweet chocolate chunks or disks
- flaked sea salt to sprinkle
Instructions
- In a large bowl, sift together (or whisk) the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time until mixed, and then vanilla. Continue mixing for an additional minute, scraping the sides as necessary.
- Turn mixer to low and add in the flour mixture, until just combined. Fold in the chocolate until evenly incorporated. Cover and chill dough for 24-72 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Allow the chilled dough to sit out at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before baking to soften slightly. Scoop out 3.5 ounces of dough for each cookie, using a large cookie scoop. This is approximately 1/4 cup. Place mounds onto your baking sheet, spacing them 3- inches apart.
- Bake cookies for 15-18 minutes, until the edges are golden. Turn your baking sheet 180- degrees once, halfway through baking.
- Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with sea salt. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Instead of chilling the dough in a large bowl, you can scoop and measure your dough right away and chill it in prepared mounds on a large baking sheet until ready to bake. Baking chilled dough produces a slightly thicker cookie than room temperature dough.
Store airtight for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
- Calories: 222
- Sugar: 9.6 g
- Sodium: 91.4 mg
- Fat: 12.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.7 g
- Protein: 2.7 g
- Cholesterol: 49.1 mg
This might be a stupid question, but do you have to use a stand mixer? These look amazing and I want to try them, but I only have a hand mixer! Will that work too?
You absolutely can use a hand mixer, but just know the dough gets a little thick, and it might be too much for a hand mixer to handle, depending on the brand and motor you have in yours!
is there no salt in the recipe? looking on line at other publications of this recipe, salt is listed in the dry ingredients.
There absolutely should be. Like an idiot, I followed her “version” of the recipe and didn’t add salt and after chilling for 24 hours, I just tasted the dough and felt like I should have. I found the original post and IT DOES HAVE SALT IN THE DOUGH. Guess I’ll let mine come back to room temperature, dirty the mixing bowl again, add the salt, hope for the best, and rechill. Pretty damn annoyed that she screwed that up since all she had to do was copy and paste.
Hi there! In the original recipe it calls for UNSALTED butter, and then they add in 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. I used salted butter and omitted the additional salt. I wrote about how I tested it both ways in the post above in the section titled “Salted or Unsalted Butter”.
I would never copy and paste a recipe 🙂
The photos look so gorgeous, and I love that you tested a bunch of variants! Just wondering why it says “Author: Shelly” on the recipe?
That’s just a default because I wrote the recipe. Clearly it isn’t my recipe as stated multiple times throughout the post AND the title of the post 🙂
This is the ny times choc chip cookie recipe — exactly!!
I’ve often seen this recipe attributed to Jacque Torres, but yes, It’s actually David Leite’s recipe, which he developed & published in the NYT. However, Leite based it heavily on Jacque Torres’s recipe, whom he observed (along with numerous other bakers) in researching how to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie: “The recipe included here is adapted from Mr. Torres’s classic cookie, but relies on the discoveries and insights of the other bakers and authors. So, in effect, it’s all of theirs — the consummate chocolate chip cookie.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/09chip.html
Shelly, I love how thoroughly you investigated how we might adapt the fussier parts of the recipe to make it easier – but you didn’t mention the main sticking point I’ve had with it – size. Leite insists that each portion has to be the size of “generous golf balls” to have the right texture – do you agree that each has to be 1/4 cup? I make almost all my cookies w/ the smallest Oxo cookie scoop (2 teaspoons, I think?) – this way I can tell myself that it’s okay to have another 2… 🙂 Did you try making these smaller, and if so, did that affect their texture?
Great question…I am going to go with him on the size. The larger size really does lend to the right texture, with the crispy edges, and chewy insides. BUT you know what? I am going to make them smaller and see what happens! I will report back!
I would love to know how that turns out. I never make cookies that big, and my first thought was, “I’d like to try those, but I’ll just make them smaller”.
These look like the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever seen! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
These cookies look gooey, chocolaty with the perfect bits of salty crunchies!
I can’t wait to make them and gobble them up!
It’s interesting that you didn’t love the cookies from the shop, because I went to his store in NYC last year and tried one. I was less than impressed by it! I was so sad after hearing such great things about them, and I had already made his recipe at home as well. Sometimes a freshly baked (even high maintenance) cookie can’t be beat!
In all fairness, I had them delivered, so I thought maybe they were stale from that process, but if you got them in the shop and they weren’t great that is SUPER disappointing!
Hi Shelly,
I’m with you — everything you thought would have been exactly my thoughts too. I only want to do fussy steps if it makes something 1000 times better than it could have been with the easy steps. If it’s worth it, I’ll do it though — so glad to know this was worth it! Excited to try these!
I mean, will I make them every time I have a craving, no… but I definitely will be making these again!
Same thoughts here!
I have made this recipe about a half dozen times with VERY mixed results. I’m making them right now and, despite making them exactly as they’re written, they didn’t spread nearly as much as I had hoped. So, I started flattening them out after the first tray. That helped, but they’re still not perfect. This recipe uses too many expensive ingredients to make again. This was my “do or die” attempt.
This has been my go-to CCC recipe for many years. I sometimes change it up a bit by putting in various add-ins: Cocoa nibs, grated unsweetened chocolate, chopped up chocolate covered coffee beans, Christina Tosi’s milk crumb. The variations are endless, but I always end up with a wonderful cookie.
First, I’m so impressed! Your version looks exactly like they do in the chocolate store!!! (Jist smaller) I’ve made these and went all the way downtown to get the disks, so happy to hear that you can use chopped chocolate. So much easier and less expensive! I will try these again and hopefully they will look as yummy as yours!
I know I won’t make them every time I get a cookie craving, but they will 100% be part of my regular cookie rotation!