Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Jacques Torres via David Leite for the New York Times

To find the perfect chocolate chip cookie, David Leite set on a quest eating cookies far and wide, experimenting with doughs, flours, interviewing such cookie experts as Jacques Torres (who knows a thing or two about chocolate). And in the end, he arrived at this recipe with Mr. Chocolate’s help. I will, forever, be indebted to him, as I am sure many bakers are across the country and even the world.

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 [Valrhona fèves, oval-shaped chocolate pieces, are at Whole Foods; I prefer the E. Guittard chocolate couverture wafers as they are thin, perfectly circular and melt in a lovely thin layer, thus giving you a layer of chocolate with every bite]
Sea salt

1. In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

2. In a mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and both of the sugars on medium-high speed until very light – about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, stopping the mixer before each addition and making sure the first egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add in the vanilla extract.

3. Reduce mixer speed to low, and add the dry ingredients in several parts until just combined. Do not over-mix. Add the chocolate disks and incorporate. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours before baking.

4. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350[dg]F. Using a large cookie scoop, spoon cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (they should be the size of golf balls). Lightly sprinkle with flaky sea salt and transfer to the oven. Bake cookies 18 to 20 minutes, until golden grown. Transfer to a cooling rack for 10 minutes and then slip cookies onto another rack to cool further. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Makes 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Notes: please don’t use salted butter, and if you can, get cultured butter for the process, as it will make all the difference. The higher the fat content in your butter, the better your cookies will be. Fat = good cookie. Salted butter contains more water and thus a bit less fat (hence my urging for unsalted).