Big Chocolate Show
Always wanted to know how to make our amazing chocolate chip cookies? Want to take them over the top? Fill them with cookie butter and make a sandwich cookie.
On this past Saturday afternoon I showed lucky attendees of the brand new Big Chocolate Show all my tips and tricks for making what I think are the perfect chocolate chip cookies. And here is the recipe for you to make them at home.
What is my idea of the perfect chocolate chip cookie? For me its substantial, crunchy and chewy and most importantly packed with a whole lot of great chocolate. For this one we used Valrhona Caraibe, a 66% dark chocolate. I use the pieces whole, so that when the cookie bakes I get shards of chocolate spread throughout.
Its very important to chill the dough fully before baking, mostly to control spread, but there is also a bit of flavor melding going on there that really improves the overall taste. You can scoop them, chill and bake immediately, or you you can resist, you can freeze the raw scooped dough and bake them whenever you want fresh cookies. (or sometimes sneak the raw cookie dough to snack on)
You’ll also want to make sure the butter is melted and cooled. Hot butter added to the sugar will change the spread too. Baking from frozen will take longer than from chilled so don’t be surprised if yours take a bit longer than the estimated times.
After the cookies have cooled, I make the cookie butter and pipe mounds of it onto an upturned cookie, and top with another. We use a meringue buttercream at the shop, but the recipe below is for an American Buttercream. Either way will be great, but the American version will be a bit sweeter.
Its a good idea to chill them a bit to set, but them bring them back to room temperature to enjoy.
Recipe:
Sugar Couture’s Chocolate Chip Cookie
Yield 20 1 oz cookies
Ingredients:
¾ cup (6 oz) white sugar
¾ cup (4.5 oz) brown sugar
6 oz unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 1/5 cups (11 oz) All purpose flour
¾ tst salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ t baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 yolk
1 cup (5 oz) high quality chocolate pieces or chips
Instructions:
Melt butter and set aside to cool down.
Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda in a bowl and whisk to combine.
In the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, cream cooled butter with white and brown sugar
Add egg and then yolk to the creamed butter and sugar. Add vanilla and mix to combine
Stop the machine and add half the flour mixture. Mix to combine. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture.
Stir in chocolate pieces by hand.
Scoop cookies with one ounce pastry scoop. Alternately you can use a table spoon to portion or roll into a log, chill and cut even 1/3” rounds.
Its best to refrigerate the portioned cookies overnight. You can also freeze them at this stage in a single layer on a sheet tray. Once fully frozen you can place them in a zip lock bag and keep them in the freezer until you’re ready to bake them.
TO BAKE: Pre heat oven to 325 degrees. Place cookies on parchment lined cookie sheets with at least 3 inches between them. Place in preheated oven and bake for 16-20 minutes, until cookies are golden brown around the edges and still a little soft in the centers. Move to a rack to cool.
Buttercream
3/4 pound soft butter
1 pound powdered sugar
2Tbs heavy cream
1 t vanilla
Directions:
Beat soft butter in the bowl of standing mixer until homogenous.
Turn mixer off and add powdered sugar.
Add cream and vanilla and mix until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes.
Cookie Butter Buttercream
5 freshly baked chocolate chip cookies
3 T canola oil
1 recipe buttercream
Directions:
Process cookies in a food processor or blender until crumbly. Add enough oil to form a paste. If necessary warm water can be added in 1tbs increments to form a paste.
Mix into buttercream
Pipe into the center of baked and cooled cookie and top with a second cookie.
Chill to set. Remove to room temperature to enjoy.