The original recipe that I’ve adapted is from Jacques Torres and it’s widely regarded to be one of the best chocolate chip cookie recipes around. This is the one I always use, but I don’t always have the time or inclination to refrigerate the dough 24-36 hours, and sometimes I just use all-purpose flour. No one in my household complains. If you want to make your own cake flour substitute, the recipe follows.

8 1⁄2 oz (2 c minus 2 tablespoons) cake flour
8 1⁄2 oz (1 2⁄3 c) bread flour
1 1⁄4 t baking soda
1 1⁄2 t baking powder
1 t kosher salt
2 1⁄2 sticks (10 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
10 oz (1 1⁄4 c) light brown sugar
8 oz (1 c + 2 T) granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla bean paste, or extract
1 1⁄4 lb bittersweet or semisweet chocolate disks, fèves, or chips (sometimes, I only use 1 lb and a combination of disks and chips, or a combination of milk chocolate and semisweet chocolate)
Flaky sea salt

Combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until lightened and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Don’t over mix. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between additions. Add vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients. Mix lightly until just combined. Add chocolate and incorporate, mixing a little as possible. Cover dough with plastic, pressing plastic onto dough, and refrigerate 24-36 hours (or not! I have skipped this step before, or baked a dozen cookies right away, and then refrigerated the rest of the dough).

Preheat the oven to 350. Line sheet pans with parchment.

Scoop golf ball size mounds of dough (I use an ice cream scoop) onto the sheet pan. Flatten cookies a tiny bit and sprinkle with flaky sea salt if you wish. Bake until golden brown but still soft, 16-19 minutes. Transfer sheet pan to a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove cookies to a cooling rack to further cool.

To make cake flour substitute: Measure 1 cup of all-purpose flour. Remove 2 tablespoons of flour and replace with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift together to aerate and mix well the flour and cornstarch. Measure 1 cup and use (you may end up with more than a cup due to aeration).

Chocolate Chip Cookies