A few weeks ago a funny thing happened to my oven, and by “funny” I really mean “ridiculously irritating but I would chuckle if it happened to someone else.” I’d finally deep cleaned the thing within an inch of its life and had stopped needing to turn on the ceiling fan when I used it, when I came home one day from work to find that an overzealous cleaner had bleached the entire stovetop. In fact, she had bleached the temperature numbers right off my oven knob.
Ultimately this story ends well, because instead of getting replacement knobs I got a new oven entirely. But in the four weeks or so between the incident and the new oven, I actually managed to bake some fantastic treats. I bought a new oven thermometer to ensure it would be reliable and for once actually spent the time making sure that the oven had preheated to just the right temperature when I took on a project. Consistency in baking requires such precision and attention to detail, something I rarely commit to 100%.
The winner of the desserts was clear – people in the office declared they were “obsessed” with these chocolate chip chocolate chunk cookies from the Bouchon Bakery cookbook. And while they’re a little involved – when I bake from this book I weigh all of the ingredients instead of going by the cups and spoons – it’s totally worth it because by following the instructions that precisely, from weight to oven temperature, the result is the perfect dessert just about every single time.
Growing up, we always brought lunch to elementary school, but on lucky days when my sister and I found a spare 50 cents lying around we indulged in a cookie. It was the size of our faces and always gloriously underbaked – crispy on the edges and chewy in the center. These cookies remind me of a grown-up version of those cookies on chocolate steroids. The texture, thanks to dark brown sugar and molasses (which you would never know is in there) is perfectly chewy and there are semisweet chips and bittersweet chunks generously woven in (use the best chocolate you can!).
You’re welcome to make these cookies half-size and get 12 out of the recipe. I chose to double it (also very easy to do) and make a dozen face-sized cookies for shock value and also for nostalgia’s sake. Whatever you choose, be prepared for endless compliments from whomever you share these with – they’re really that good.
Note: The shaped dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days before baking. For longer storage, freeze the dough in a covered container or a plastic bag for up to 1 month; the day before baking, place the cookies on a lined baking sheet and defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Bring the dough to room temperature before baking.
For smaller cookies: Divide the dough into 12 equal portions (75 grams each). Baking for 12 to 14 minutes in a convection oven, 16 to 18 minutes in a standard oven.
Ingredients
- 238g / 1 1/2 cups + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2.3g / 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3g / 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 134g / 1/2 + 2 tablespoons (lightly packed) dark brown sugar
- 12g / 1 3/4 teaspoons unsulfured blackstrap molasses
- 104g / 1/2 + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 107g / 2/3 cup chocolate chunks (3/8-inch chunks, 70% to 72% chocolate)
- 107g / scant 1/2 cup chocolate chips (semisweet)
- 167g / 5.9oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 60g / 3 tablespoons + 2 1/2 teaspoons eggs
Instructions
- Place the flour in a medium bowl. Sift in the baking soda. Add the salt and whisk together. Place the dark brown sugar in a small bowl and stir in the molasses and granulated sugar, breaking up any lumps; the mixture will not be completely smooth.
- Place the chocolate chunks in a strainer and tap the side to remove any powdered chocolate, which would cloud the cookies. Mix with the chocolate chips.
- Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn to medium-low speed and cream the butter, warming the bowl if needed, until it is the consistency of mayonnaise and holds a peak when the paddle is lifted. Add the molasses mixture and mix for 3 to 4 minutes, until fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the eggs and mix on low speed for 15 to 30 seconds, until just combined. Scrape the bowl again. The mixture may look broken, but that is fine (overwhipping the eggs could cause the cookies to expand too much during baking and then deflate).
- Add the dry ingredients in 2 additions, mixing on low speed for 15 to 30 seconds after each, or until just combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate any dry ingredients that have settled there. Add the chocolates and pulse on low speed about 10 times to combine. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
- Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F (convection or standard). Line two sheet pans with Silpats or parchment paper.
- Using a 2 1/2-inch ice cream scoop (#10), divide the dough into 6 equal portions, 150g each. Roll each one into a ball in between the palms of your hands.
- The cookies are very large; bake only 3 on each pan. With a short end of the pan toward you, place one cookie in the upper left corner, one in the lower left corner, and the third one in the center, toward the right side of the pan. Bring the dough to room temperature before baking.
- Bake until golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes in a convection oven, 18 to 20 minutes in a standard oven, reversing the positions of the pans halfway through baking. Set the pans on a cooling rack and cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.
- The cookies are best the day they are baked, but they can be stored in a covered container for up to 3 days.
Notes
From Bouchon Bakery
