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. In celebration of food and dining experiences . |
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Exploring and discovering new restaurants Dining and chilling out with my loved ones Baking and cooking over the weekends Sharing my love for food with others
Vanilla bean pods (one can never have enough) Valrhona Cocoa powder Valrhona chocolate Macarons from Laduree and Pierre Herme Madelines mold Pretty cake stands (I only have one and only one) YUZU from Japan! (They taste great in almost anything) A food tour to Italy and France Opportunity to study at Le Cordon Bleu |
Sunday, July 20, 2008 Revisit of a good old favourite: Chocolate Chip Cookies  *** My colleague emailed me a cookie recipe off New York Times. The article “Perfection? Hint: It’s warm and has a secret”, July 9, 2008 got me excited about an old favourite- The chocolate chip cookie. The writer wrote about his escapade in search of the perfect chocolate chip cookie in NYC. One thing I’ve learnt from it is to let the dough rest for at least 24hrs (Best: 36 hrs) before baking in order to achieve a drier and firmer dough which will bake to a better consistency. Secondly, it’s the size. Supersized cookies are good because they allow for three distinct textures from the outer circle of crisp edges, giving way to a chewy circle surrounding a soft center. I decided to test my cookies and baked 3 batches- at 24 hour and 48 hour. And indeed the latter was way better. The flavours were more infused, the cookie texture was better, it made way for a chewier center which I like. I love these chocolate chip cookies though I must admit the size is really quite intimidating. It really promotes sharing though as that’s the best way to enjoy it! This would be THE chocolate cookie recipe that I would use for all occasions and I’m pretty certain that baking these would be a best way to cultivate my patience. I need to remind myself that waiting would not always end up in vain. *** Chocolate Chip Cookies Adapted from Jacques Torres Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24-36 hours’ chilling Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies. 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 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. 5. 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. Note: I cut down the sugar used to about half? and baked slightly smaller cookies for 15 minutes.  Chocolate chip cookies!! With chunky dark chocolate
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