Fleur de sel chocolate chip cookies

Today, I was craving a little taste of something sweet and I just so happened to find a copy of the Jacques Torres recipe for chocolate chip cookies from the New York Times stashed in the front of one of my cookbooks.  The original recipe has been posted before, but this all-American cookie with a little nod to France deserves another day in the spotlight.

When I bake cookies, I prefer small, bite-size morsels over cookies the size of a saucer.  As in all cooking, choosing the best ingredients is key.  For the sea salt, my favorite is fleur de sel de Camargue and I prefer Valrhona chocolate for my baking, both of which can be found in the United States.  

Fleur de sel chocolate chip cookies 

Adapted from Jacques Torres

8 1/2 ounces cake flour

8 1/2 ounces bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

10 ounces light brown sugar

8 ounces granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds bittersweet Valrhona chocolate, chopped

sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350^o.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt into a bowl.  Set aside.  Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugars until very light, about 5 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Stir in the vanilla.  Reduce the speed to low, and slowly add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.  Add the chocolate pieces and stir by hand with a wooden spoon to incorporate.  Press plastic wrap against the dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. 

Using a 1-inch ice cream scoop or small spoon, scoop dough onto baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown, but still soft, approximately 10 - 12 minutes.  Transfer sheet to a wire rack to cool for 1o minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool completely.

This recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies.  After your first batch, you can roll the remaining dough into a log and wrap in parchment paper and freeze so you'll be able to satisfy your next sweet tooth craving in a flash.

Comments

[Jason]

Sounds delicious Marjorie, I wish you were closer so I could have one of these, they look perfect! Chocolate and salt are a match made in heaven.

[treemama]

funny, i search recipes, but when i find one i love, i turn a blind eye to anything else.

chocolate chip cookies included, though this looks scrumptious.

[Rachel Elizabeth]

These sound amazing but I have no way of baking by weight. I'll save this for when I can afford a kitchen scale I suppose.

[Marjorie@The Cook's Atelier]

Hello Rachel. Thank you for your comment. For the flour, try 1 1/2 cups of each type. For the brown sugar, use 1 1/4 cups, firmly packed. These cookies are one of my favorites, I hope you give them a try.

[Cassandra Caterson]

These sound delicious! I wonder where I could score this chocolate locally...I might also add some caramel element.

[BloomDiva at panacea event floral design]

one of our bridal clients is using this recipe for her wedding late night snack ~ love it!!