The only cookie recipe you will ever need

My idea of the perfect chocolate chip cookie is one that’s kind of chewy and gooey at the same time — but not cakey. And laden with discs of chocolate throughout. This recipe is adapted from an original by Jacques Torres that I found in a newspaper about a decade ago. The columnist, who likened the humble biscuit to a baker’s crucible — in the same way that making the perfect omelet is said to be the test of a great chef — had been trying to figure out through trial and error what constituted the perfect biscuit. I read all the tips and one thing stood out: the bakers he had interviewed had all experimented with lengthy times for resting the cookie mixture in the refrigerator. 

And so I did the same. This finally explained to me why one cookie could be so drastically different to another even though most recipes share almost identical ingredients: it’s because letting the mix sit gives time for the wet ingredients to completely permeate the dry ones. 36 -48 hours might seem like a long time but I found this is ideal. 24 hours will also take you a long way. And using different flours also gives a slightly higher protein content, which makes for a chewier dough. 

Read the recipe from beginning to end before you start so that you know what equipment you’ll need. 

Cooking time: 50 minutes + chilling time

Makes 16–18 cookies

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour

1 ⅔ cups bread flour (can substitute with all-purpose flour)

1 ¼ cups good quality unsalted butter

1 ¼ cups light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (can substitute with soft dark brown sugar)

1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons sea salt flakes

 2 large organic eggs (if using baladi eggs use 3 small ones) 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

14 oz good quality milk or dark chocolate discs, ideally with 60 or more percent cacao content

Sea salt flakes

***Before you begin, make sure all your ingredients are room temperature. For the eggs and butter this means leaving them out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes beforehand. Chocolate might need a bit longer.

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

Using an electric mixer cream the butter and sugars together until light, about 5 minutes (you can also do this by hand, it's just easier with a mixer). Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Don’t overmix. Drop in the chocolate pieces and incorporate without breaking them apart.

Tightly wrap the bowl with plastic wrap, sealing it from outside air and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours. You can use the dough in batches for up to 72 hours or freeze for later. 

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Scoop 6 golf ball-sized lumps of dough onto a baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between them so the cookies have room to expand. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer cookies still on the baking paper to a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Then take off baking paper and keep resting for another 10 minutes.

Secrets to making this recipe work

Get to know your oven: every oven differs in temperature and efficiency so if you haven’t used yours much, I suggest baking the cookies in smaller batches and experimenting with the temperature each time for the best results. And don’t be alarmed if they are still soft when you take them out of the oven, they will firm up as they cool.