You see posts and articles and rants about the "perfect chocolate chip cookie" all over the interweb. Semi scientific experiments and surveys done to see which is method is the best and which methods should be discarded forever into the trash can of history. I will admit that not too long ago I got sucked into the great chocolate chip cookie debate and found myself making dozens of cookies each week. Eventually I came to the point where I realized this important fact: I don't really like chocolate chip cookies. Yes, one or two of them is nice when they're warm and chewy and the chocolate is all melty, but really, any more than that and I'll pass.
However, I did have loads of fun baking batch after batch of delicious cookies to share with my family at home and the people I work with (the guinea pigs, if you will). What I discovered is that most people will agree that putting the dough in the fridge for a while before you bake it generally makes for nicer looking cookies with soft chewy centres. On the other hand, having to let your dough rest in the fridge for 36 hours as perscribed by the New York Times is a bit extreme. Using melted butter was an interesting adjestment made by Cooking Illustrated, but I think overall that it made no real difference in the flavour or texture of the cookies. The last thing that i noticed has been played around with a lot in these recipes was the type of flour used. Whether it be bread flour, cake flour, all-purpose flour, or some combination, not one single baker seemed to agree on the results. About this, all I can say is that when it comes to baking cookies at home, I think finding a recipe that uses all-purpose flour to its best potential is the way to go.
To read a more extensive account on the trails and tribulations of finding the very best chocolate chip cookie recipe, I would very much recommend that you visit this blog here.
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