Jacques Torres's Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies

Of all the gazillion chocolate chip cookie recipes, this one caught my eye. The word "secret" was alluring, but what won me over was that chocolate-genius Jacques Torres had created the recipe. Jacques Torres, known as “Mr. Chocolate,” is a pastry chef and the master behind the world-renowned chocolate company. Torres’s specialty is in creating fresh, hand-crafted chocolates that are free of preservatives and artificial flavors. The "secret" ingredients in this recipe are bread and pastry flour, which gives the cookies a more cake-like texture ... simply divine! Rating: 5 out of 5.




Jacques Torres's Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies: MarthaStewart.com

Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cup packed light-brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups pastry flour
- 1 ½ cups bread flour
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 pound (2 ⅔ cups) Jacques Torres House (60 percent cocoa) chocolate or other best-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until well combined.
- Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies. Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.


I'm not fortunate enough to have tasted real Jacques Torres chocolate,
instead I used Hershey's chips. But the recipe was wickedly delicious anyway.