Ravneet Gill’s “Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie”
A “perfect” chocolate chip cookie?
I could argue that like a puppy, kitten or any presidential candidate that is not Donald Trump, the cookie in front of you is the perfect one.
However: This cookie is supremely good. And perfect if you like a cookie that gently yields its warm, soft self to you; one where the chunks of bittersweet chocolate drip onto your fingers, and where caramel is the flavor that takes charge. Ja, there’s a catch …you also need the self-control to wait overnight for the dough to chill. Although if desperate (moi?) you could bake off one or two immediately. It just won’t be as perfect.
The recipe is from Ravneet Gill’s The Pastry Chef’s Guide: The Secret to Successful Baking Every Time (Pavilion, 2020) The version below was adapted by Charlotte Druckman for The New York Times, only because I haven’t had time to get a copy of Gill’s book.
Pop to the end of the recipe for my notes.
NB: It only makes 14 cookies. But they are big. And luscious.
Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe by Ravneet Gill, Adapted by Charlotte Druckman for The New York Times
Ingredients
3/4 cup butter (140 g) unsalted butter, softened
Scant 3/4 cup (140 g) dark brown sugar
2/3 cup (110 g) superfine sugar
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups, plus 2 Tbsp (250 g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp Maldon sea salt (or kosher salt)
6 ounces (170 g) dark (bittersweet) chocolate, chopped into large chunks
How to:
Put the butter and both sugars in a stand mixer or mixing bowl. Cream together using a paddle attachment on medium speed, a handheld electric whisk or a wooden spoon for 1 to 2 minutes until paler but not fluffy. (Do not mix for too long; if you beat the mixture until super light and luffy, that will cause the cooie to deflate later when cooking.)
Add the egg and beat over medium speed until evenly combined.
In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (all the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt), then fold into the butter mixture using a rubber spatula until combined.
Add the chopped chocolate and fold into the dough until evenly distributed.
Immediately scoop out heaping 1/4-cup portions (about 60 grams), roll into balls and place on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 12 hours. (MRB NB: I put them all in a parchment-lined 9 x 9 baking pan that I covered with plastic wrap, because I need room for other food in my fridge.)
The next day, heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Make sure the dough balls are evenly spaced out among two baking sheets, as they will spread. Bake the cookies for 13 minutes (or 15 minutes from frozen), until the cookies are puffed and golden at the edges. You want the middle to be ever so slightly not-quite set.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet; they will continue firming up as they cool. Once cooled, eat! (These cookies will keep for up to 2 days in the fridge or 2 weeks in the freezer.)
Recipe adaptation by Charlotte Druckman for The New York Times; adapted from “The Pastry Chef’s Guide” by Ravneet Gill (Pavilion, 2020).
My Notes and Thoughts:
*This recipe calls for superfine sugar. That’s because the recipe is British and British caster sugar (which is white, granulated sugar) has smaller crystals that dissolve more quickly. Superfine sugar is the closest to caster sugar. Alternatively, you can whizz up an equal weight of good ol’ American granulated sugar in a food processor.
*I used Guittard bittersweet chocolate. Use a large serrated knife to make chopping the chocolate easier.
*I used kosher salt, instead of Maldon. My daughter ended up sprinkling a teeny bit more salt on top, which was a smart move.
*If you don’t own a scale to measure ingredients with, why not? It makes life easier and helps you avoid eye-balling a “scant 3/4 cup.” Promise.
