Legendary Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies may be some high maintenance cookies, but you will NEVER taste a better buttery, salty sweet cookie.

When it comes to Cookie Recipes, some are just special and worth the extra time and effort. You won’t regret it with these, but if you need a quicker chocolate chip fix, try Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, or Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies are the best cookies you will ever try. EVER. This is no exaggeration. These cookies are crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside with a hint of Maldon Sea Salt on the tops. The buttery cookie flavor filled to the brim with bittersweet chocolate fèves, you won’t even want to drink milk with them because the only flavor you will want in your mouth are the flavors of this delicious cookie.
As you can imagine, the best things in life aren’t necessarily the easiest. This recipe uses cake and bread flour in place of AP flour. It uses bittersweet chocolate fèves instead of your regular chips. You can absolutely use chips, just use bittersweet ones.

The fèves are simply flat circles of chocolate so they make more layers of chocolate goodness in the cookie. The biggest difference from any recipe you have likely tried before? The time you let these cookies rest. The standard is to let them rest 36 hours (24 hours really being the minimum you should wait) and like a fine wine, these cookies really age wonderfully!

Before we lose you at “36 Hours” let’s go a bit further into detail about this resting period. The science behind these cookies and the resting period is that the butter in the recipe (and in any chocolate chip cookie recipe) coat the flour. In the related link the NY Times actually goes into the science of how butter is a natural sort of force shield, preventing the flour from absorbing the eggs properly.

The extra time in the fridge allows for the wet ingredients to fully meld with the dry. It turns out even the original Nestle Cookie 1930’s recipe said to rest overnight! This detail is left off the recipe on the bag, probably because most people won’t want to wait that long for cookies.

Don’t believe the resting makes a difference? Try them! PLEASE! You will be amazed at the cookies you’ve just created. Just please make them exactly as written the first time. And give them the time to mature… it really does make all the difference.

Want to eat some chocolate chip cookie dough while baking these? Try this Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough recipe! It is a great snack while you’re baking!

How to Make Legendary Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. In a bowl, combine the two flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using your stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together for 5 minutes. You want the mixture to be significantly lighter than when you started. 
2. Add the eggs in one at a time, making sure they are mixed in well after each one. Don’t worry about over-mixing yet, there is no flour in the bowl. Add in the vanilla. Lower the speed and add in the flour mixture for just a few seconds until it is mixed in. This is when you should worry about over-mixing. Add in the chocolate fèves and mix carefully with spatula to prevent breakage.
3. Take the bowl off the stand mixture and cover the dough with plastic wrap as if it was a guacamole. Letting air get to the dough will dry it out in a bad way.
4. Refrigerate for 36 hours. Technically you could for 24, but it’s really best to go for 36. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Using a 2 tablespoon scoop, put them onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with sea salt.
5. Bake for 11-13 minutes. Let them cool for 5-10 minutes. Best enjoyed warm. 
   This made 55 cookies in our kitchen, 39 of which we froze for later use! It is the gift that keeps on giving.
6. Alternately, here is text from the original recipe for larger cookies: Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes.

Tools used in making these Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Maldon Sea Salt: This is the perfect flaky finishing salt, once you start using it, you’ll be a total convert. AND it is inexpensive!
Bread Flour: Helps with the chewy qualities of the cookies.
Cake Flour: Helps with the tenderness of the cookies.
Silpat: Keeps the bottoms of the cookies from burning, this silicone mat is a lifesaver.
Bittersweet Chocolate Fèves: These unique shaped chocolate disks make the perfect layers throughout the cookie and melt perfectly.

How to Store Legendary Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Serve: You’ll want to devour these cookies while still warm in the oven! But they are still safe at room temperature as long as you need to serve them.
• Store: Seal in an airtight container, a plastic bag with extra air squeezed out is best, for up to 5 days.
• Freeze: It’s best to freeze cookie dough in the balls before baking. Seal in an airtight freezer safe bag up to 3 months. They can be baked from frozen, adding a minute or two to the baking time, watching carefully. Alternatively, thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking as usual.

Photos used in a previous version of this post.