Chocolate Chip Cookies with Smoked Salt

Chocolate Chip Cookies With Smoked Salt

Adapted from a Jacques Torres recipe that I got from a friend.  It calls for the dough to be refrigerated overnight, which does actually make a difference in the shape and texture of the cookies.  I've made this recipe often enough to test that.  The original recipe calls for a mix of cake and bread flour, but although I could tell the difference between the cookies when I compared cookies made that way with cookies made with all-purpose, I didn't necessarily prefer one over the other, and it's just easier to not keep so many kinds of flour around.  I find it very difficult to scoop out the dough when it's been refrigerated overnight, so I usually scoop the cookies into a large flat rectangular pyrex storage container (go ahead and layer them, they can touch) when it's freshly mixed and then refrigerate the dough balls overnight before baking.  I also often freeze half the dough balls to bake another time, since this is a very large recipe.   

17 oz (3 2/3 minus 2 Tbs) all purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

10 oz. (1 1/4 cups) light brown sugar

8 oz. (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds Ghirardelli 60% dark chocolate chips

Smoked salt

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop the dough out into balls about one inch in diameter, cover and refrigerate overnight.  Dough can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
4. Place the chilled dough balls onto baking sheet lined with a silicone sheet (it helps the cookies bake more evenly as well as not stick to the baking sheet).  Sprinkle lightly with smoked salt.  Bake until golden brown around the edges, but still soft in the middle, 8 to 10 minutes.  The center should be slightly puffed up, and still look soft, but not raw.  I like these better slightly undercooked rather than slightly overcooked, because they stay nice and chewy.  Let sheet cool about 5 minutes then remove cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling.