Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar
There’s always room in your repertoire for a new chocolate chip cookie. These are a little less sweet than the traditional ones, but they are oh-so-good and easy to make.
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République’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
This cookie is how I like my chocolate chip cookies—a little bit crispy on the outside and then soft on the inside. I don’t like them crispy- crunchy all the way through. And I don’t like them all soft or cakey either. Avoiding overbaking is key. The more you bake a cookie, the harder a cookie gets. (So if you like yours all crispy, bake the cookies for a couple of extra minutes.) Don’t overcream the butter and sugar. The more you cream it, the more it will spread out when you bake it.
I don’t like an extremely thin chocolate chip cookie. This one is thin but thick enough to have a different texture inside. Chilling the cookie dough before baking also helps prevent spread and keeps the center soft. I like to use bigger pieces of chocolate, not small chips. That way, there’s more melted chocolate throughout. When you bite into the cookie, you get full chunks of soft chocolate.
Makes 12 cookies
175g / 11⁄3 cups plus 1 Tbsp all purpose flour
5g / 3⁄4 tsp baking soda
1⁄4 tsp fine sea salt
110g / 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, pliable but still cold
130g / packed 3⁄4 cup plus 1 Tbsp light brown sugar
100g / 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar 1 egg
150g / 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp chopped dark chocolate (60% to 72% cacao)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
Place the butter and both sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the mixture on medium speed until just incorporated—but no longer. Scrape down the bowl, add the egg, and mix until just incorporated.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture all at once. Again mix until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate just until evenly incorporated.
Using a #40 (2 oz) ice cream scoop, portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill overnight in the refrigerator. (You can also freeze the scooped dough until solid and then transfer to a resealable plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 weeks. Bake straight from the freezer.)
Remove the cookies from the refrigerator and bake until the edges are crispy and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. (Bake for less time if you like your cookies chewy and longer if you like them crispier.) Cool on the baking sheet or serve warm. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Reprinted with permission from Baking at Republique by Margarita Manzke, copyright (c) 2019. Published by Lorena Jones Books, a division of Penguin Random House, Inc. Photographs copyright © Kristin Teig.
Tracey Zabar's Chocolate Chip Sweets: Celebrated Chefs Share Favorite Recipes is available here.
A delectable collection of innovative chocolate chip recipes by world-renowned chefs, pastry chefs, and bakers
Tracey Zabar's One Sweet Cookie Cookbook is available here.
A delicious collection of cookie recipes from extraordinary chefs, pastry chefs, and bakers. A great gift sure to delight anyone who loves to bake.
