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57 Comments
Carol
April 24, 2022
Still searching for the best chocolate chip cookie. I tried Jacques Torres recipe. Why do they not stay soft? They harden after resting same day or next day.
Posie (.
April 24, 2022
This sounds random BUT try adding a tablespoon or two of cornstarch to the dough — if using two, remove one tablespoon of the flour called for. If using one, don’t worry about removing flour. Helps keep the cookies softer for longer — it’s the trick behind making soft-batch style cookies!
Steven W.
August 1, 2017
I have always used the toll house one but never toll house chips...ugh...I shave or chop a nice dark chocolate bar, the best I can afford. I use unbleached King Arthur ( I used to live near there in VT) flour and finely ground oatmeal as part of the flour.
Sydney E.
July 31, 2017
Crisco's Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are perfect balance of salt and sweet. I've tried making them with butter instead of butter flavor Crisco and they were just not as good!
Becky R.
June 19, 2017
I stumbled across Jennie Perillo's recipe around the time she first posted it on her blog (In Jennie's Kitchen) and it's been my go-to ever since. My friends and coworkers absolutely love when I bring a batch to share.
Jennie
April 21, 2017
I made the Nestle cookies for about 30 years without changing anything. The cookies always came out lovely, with nice cakey centers and slightly crispy edges. For the last few years, though, my formerly wonderful, reliable, go-to cookies now just spread out over the sheet in flat messes and I can't figure out the problem. I've tried refrigerating the dough, I've tried using a brand-new box of baking soda, I've used firmer butter, I've used various pans (both regular and non-stick), and I've switched between convection baking and standard at various adjusted temperatures. I want my cookies back! Any suggestions?
Allison L.
June 20, 2017
It could be the flour. Look at the protein content - it's different across brands. I'd look for a harder flour (more protein).
Lori
August 4, 2016
Google the Ritz-Carlton chocolate chip cookie its the best ever !
Try to be patient & chill overnight- it is makes them better. If you have to make them right away they still turn out but are better when the batter is chilled overnight. It's a huge recipe I usually cut it in half, or freeze half of the dough balls for later.
Try to be patient & chill overnight- it is makes them better. If you have to make them right away they still turn out but are better when the batter is chilled overnight. It's a huge recipe I usually cut it in half, or freeze half of the dough balls for later.
donald K.
July 22, 2016
There is no way the Nestle recipe can compare with Torres. The main reason is Nestles chocolate chips are terrible. Use Giardelli or evenTrader Joe's but never Nestle.
Ellen M.
July 22, 2016
The Torres recipe is wonderful. A sprinkling of sea salt before baking adds gives another dimension....
BRN
July 22, 2016
I make the Nestle recipe, but use 1 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of white sugar. That's the only change I make.
Ellise
July 22, 2016
I had never heard of this Jacques person before today, but I'm definitely open to new CC cookie recipes. My latest adventure into them was a recipe found on Pinterest for a chocolate chip cookie stuffed with a Ghiradelli Caramel Square stuffed in the middle and baked in a muffin top pan. Oh, my. Perfect combination of crisp edge and soft and chewy middle that stayed that way as long as the cookies lasted! Incidentally, a muffin top pan might be the way to go with the Jacques cookies....no spreading there!
tucsonbabe
July 22, 2016
Jaques Torrres recipe has been my "go to" chocolate chip cookie recipe for years. They are unbeatable. I don't bother with chocolate discs as they are hard to get and very expensive. Any good bittersweet chocolate bar cut into chunks works. Sometimes I add milk chocolate and white chocolate toi the mix. Anyway you make them, they are divine. Don't skip the rest period in the refrigerator.
jody
July 22, 2016
is there a mistake in the amount of flour listed in the jacques recipe?
1 2/3 bread flour + 2 cups cake flour
thanks for checking
1 2/3 bread flour + 2 cups cake flour
thanks for checking
Patkunstenaar
July 22, 2016
There is a huge difference between regular commercial chocolate chips, like Nestle's, and better grade chocolate, like Valharona or even Ghirardelli's - they make the Nestle's taste like wax! Try a better grade; you'll impress yourself.
meg
July 22, 2016
Nestle has done something to the chips.
They taste like coconut now. Recently I have developed a sensitivity to coconut just when every one and their cousin has decided to put coconut and coconut oil into everything, especially gluten free foods.
What do you think Nestle has changed in their chocolate?
I love both recipes. but still have not figured out how to make chewy soft large choc chip cookies that will be soft the next day.
They taste like coconut now. Recently I have developed a sensitivity to coconut just when every one and their cousin has decided to put coconut and coconut oil into everything, especially gluten free foods.
What do you think Nestle has changed in their chocolate?
I love both recipes. but still have not figured out how to make chewy soft large choc chip cookies that will be soft the next day.
BRN
July 22, 2016
If you keep them out of plastic, they should be chewier. And, if it's humid, you're golden.
KBec
July 22, 2016
Subbing in some corn syrup for white sugar? Or maybe up-ing the brown sugar as the commenter above does. You'll have to play around with it.
Linda C.
July 22, 2016
I have always used a recipe I found or adapted years ago, that includes both baking powder and baking soda, white and brown sugar, egg and milk, and quick oats in addition to the flour. I was always asked for the recipe when I served them to family or friends. I was at a community baking shower at one point and there was a platter of cookies with the tag "Linda's Chocolate Chip Cookies" and when I asked the hostess about the recipe, she produced a tattered photocopy of my original handwritten recipe, given to her many years earlier by a friend of hers. I will surely try resting the dough (I always rest my perogie dough!) and discs instead of chips!
Susan W.
July 22, 2016
I admit that I haven't tried Jaques' recipe. It was the bread and cake flour that stopped me since I rarely to never use them. I have a feeling I'd love that recipe. He's a master with chocolate. I stopped using Nestle when Cook's mag first came out with their recipe many years ago. I may revisit.
Then I came across Serious Eats version and I'm sold. I had two bags of Guittard dark chocolate chips so I went off recipe and used them. I determined these are my forever go to chocolate cookies on the rare occasion that I make them. They are fabulous.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/12/the-food-lab-best-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe.html
Then I came across Serious Eats version and I'm sold. I had two bags of Guittard dark chocolate chips so I went off recipe and used them. I determined these are my forever go to chocolate cookies on the rare occasion that I make them. They are fabulous.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/12/the-food-lab-best-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe.html
BerryBaby
July 22, 2016
I've tried them both and family and friends were just lukewarm to both of them. I most request Chocolate chip recipe is the (supposedly) Neiman Marcus recipe. They have ground oatmeal, in addition to AP flour. This last batch I added dried cherries for a really good texture surprise. I guess it just boils down to 'a matter of taste'.
Annagon
July 22, 2016
My go to is the Nestle recipe with bread flour and I've always rested them. I find they spread too much otherwise. Sometimes I add an extra yolk for extra chewiness, but I think I'm going to move away from that. On the Torres recipe, wouldn't mixing cake and bread flour essentially give you the same gluten content as AP? I don't get it.
Louise M.
April 12, 2016
@Judi, @Holly - The Jacques Torres recipe as it's written is correct. Posie slipped up in her writing.
2 cups minus to 2 tablespoons Cake flour (8 1/2 oz.)
1 2/3 cup Bread flour (8 1/2 oz.)
2 cups minus to 2 tablespoons Cake flour (8 1/2 oz.)
1 2/3 cup Bread flour (8 1/2 oz.)
Posie (.
April 12, 2016
Thanks for noting that! I'll fix it in the article right away :) happy baking!
judi H.
April 11, 2016
er...I'm confused. In one place it says Jacques Torres uses 2 2/3 C flour (total) but in the recipe, the amounts given add up to almost 3 2/3 C flour.
laura
April 10, 2016
The recipe that adds an entire dimension is the browned butter one from Cooks' Illustrated. I wish you'd compared that one for a real test.
Holly L.
April 10, 2016
Could you clarify your statement "The Nestle recipe calls for 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour. Jacques Torres uses about 2 2/3 cups of flour, and it's a combination of cake flour and bread flour"
Louise M.
April 10, 2016
I've made Kenji's recipe and wasn't impressed. Don't get me wrong, I love Kenji's work, but I don't always agree. I thought his CC cookies were greasy. My favorite "Best" is the Jacques Torres recipe. My CC Cookie file shows that over the years, I've tried about fifty recipes. I believe different recipes are appropriate for different occasions, but nothing has yet topped the Jacques Torres recipe.
Anne D.
April 10, 2016
I'm looking forward to trying Jacque's recipe and trying something different. We generally use the Nestle recipe. Thank you for sharing and explaining the differences. I never stop to think about the "science" behind the recipes. Very interesting! Love Food52!
Elizabeth T.
April 10, 2016
Have you tried testing the nestle cookies? Does it make the flavor more complex?
Posie (.
April 10, 2016
It does add a little something! Honestly, I've tested it with a few different resting times and I don't think that more than 20 minutes makes a huge difference. I often save half the dough (frozen or in the fridge) and make a second batch later...I notice the biggest difference in the first 20 minutes of rest (better flavor, chewier texture) and then beyond that it doesn't seem to improve this particular cookie recipe more, in my opinion.
Kat S.
April 5, 2016
The Jacques Torres recipe is the best I've ever had. It is the cookie that I have been searching for as I made countless other recipes. (Actually, no, it's better than I could have imagined.) I make it just like the recipe, with the exception of substituting Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips for the discs. They might be even more decadent with the discs, but they make everyone who eats them swoon, so I don't go to the extra effort of ordering the discs online. I have Kenji's tome sitting right here, so I will give his recipe a try, but I have to say I am skeptical...
nancy E.
April 4, 2016
Sorry folks, Kenji has a recipe for browned butter CCC's that will blow these away. I thought he was a contributer here.
Kari I.
April 4, 2016
Ok, so I've never used chocolate discs in my baking so this is a new item for me. Are they easy to find in your local grocery store? What brand might you recommend? Thanks!
Posie (.
April 5, 2016
Most grocery stores probably don't carry them, but you can either use bittersweet chocolate chips which will work just fine, or you can order them online. I like Callebaut or Belcolade (http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/belcolade-bittersweet-disks-16-oz)
RHo
April 10, 2016
Try going to a bulk foods store! The one I shop at has various brands of high quality chocolate, including Callebaut ;)
Ellen O.
April 4, 2016
Alton Brown's The Chewy is my go-to recipe. More brown than white sugar, bread flour, and a good long rest in the fridge to build the gluten.
Jenn
April 4, 2016
If you want more to consider take a look at KAF blog with discussion on NYT cookie http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2008/07/10/the-new-york-times-smart-cookies/ David Leite commented in the thread too!
Lily
April 4, 2016
David Leite should get some credit for the "Jacques Torres" cookie. He adapted Torres's recipe, but did a ton of leg work for tips from the likes of Dorie Greenspan, Shirley Corriher, and the owners of Almondine, City Bakery, and Ruby et Violette, which he incorporated into the final NYT recipe.
Also, Mr. Leite discovered that the original Toll House recipe called for an overnight rest as well, though this step was omitted from the back-of-the-bag recipe.
The entire article is worth a read: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/09chip.html
Also, Mr. Leite discovered that the original Toll House recipe called for an overnight rest as well, though this step was omitted from the back-of-the-bag recipe.
The entire article is worth a read: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/09chip.html
Jeanette F.
April 3, 2016
@windischgirl I have made them with all purpose flour and with the combination of bread and cake flour and have not noticed a difference. Also, my Jacques Torres recipe from the NYT calls for 3.5 oz cookie dough balls--a most substantial cookie and significant contributor to the overwhelming chocolate chip cookie experience
Windischgirl
April 3, 2016
Thanks for the feedback, Jeanette. Will have to try the Torres recipe in any case. I am trying to imagine a 3.5 oz cookie...I don't even make my hamburger buns that big!
Linnea L.
April 3, 2016
I've been making Jacques' recipe since it ran in the New York Times several years ago. It is far and away the best chocolate chip cookie, especially given the sea salt on top. Yes, the Nestle recipe is fine and does remind me of my youth, but there is no comparison. And I use Callebaut pieces, which are essentially chips, and I've had no complaints. Heading to the kitchen now . . .
Danielle
April 3, 2016
I swear by the recipe on this site, Chubby Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. Such great texture. So much chocolate!!
Windischgirl
April 3, 2016
Do you know what Torre's reasoning is behind using the two different types of flour? As a bread baker, I think bread flour=more gluten and cake flour=less gluten and wondering if they cancel each other out, resulting in a net gluten amount=all purpose. Would love some insights so I can understand this better. That said, they both sound scrumptious !
Posie (.
April 4, 2016
You're right in that they could "cancel" each other out, but I think the Jacques Torres recipe is trying to balance the qualities that each flour gives you: a chewier cookie from the bread flour and a more tender cookie from the cake flour. That's what the amounts aren't exactly equal: it's a carefully engineered combo of both to yield that texture. That being said, I'm pretty sure you could use all AP flour and get a PRETTY similar result but it wouldn't be precisely the same. Also, it will depend what kind of bread flour you use because the protein levels do differ somewhat greatly. I always use King Arthur bread flour which is around 12.7% protein, one of (if not the) highest you can find. Hope that helps!
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