Chocolate chip cookies and a few tips

I've been going crazy with cookie dough lately, making chocolate chip, sugar, and gingerbread dough and putting it in the freezer until I want some.

It's really come in handy! My friend called me the other day really upset, so I turned on the oven baked up some fresh cookies and took them to her. Cheered her up fast!

Chocolate chip cookies are an American classic. Most likely any baker has their own recipe for the "perfect" chocolate chip cookies.

Honestly for me, I don't have one recipe for the "perfect" chocolate chip recipe. There's different kinds and it depends what kind I want at the time. Sometimes I like them really chewy and flat, sometimes I like them soft and fat. 

I'm not the biggest expert out there, but here are some tips I like to follow when it comes to cookies.

Tip #1: Make the dough on one day then place in fridge to chill overnight.

Tip #2: After rounding the cookies and placing on cookie sheet to bake, place back in freezer for 15 minutes for the butter to cool back down. (They won't spread out as much)

Tip #3: Only make as many cookies as you want/need. Freeze the rest of the dough, in case of emergency sugar cravings.

I did change the recipe a slight bit, I used regular all purpose flour instead of the cake flour and bread flour. I would like to try using those flours next time, but I didn't have any this time.

These cookies were still amazing though! I can see why there is so much praise over them. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Recipe adapted from New York Times)

Ingredients

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 (see note)

Sea salt.

Directions

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

2. 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.

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.