I admit that I have joined the bandwagon and made the famous chocolate chip cookie that took the world by storm when the recipe was published in New York Times on 9 July 2009 (albeit a little late). This is definitely the next big thing after the No Knead Bread. Accompanying the recipe was a lengthy discussion on what a perfect chocolate chip cookie should be (as well as its origins). Talk about food science. I wondered if the additional sprinkle of the sea salt and letting the dough sit in the fridge for 24 – 36 hours really turns the cookie into a wonderous one?I saw a mixture of reviews on all time American favourite. Some bloggers calling it the very best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever, and others thought it was really no big deal. There is only one way to find out. Sad to say, my cookie making process was full of mistakes. For some reason, I kept thinking the required amount of butter was 1 1/2 cups. Next, I lost count of the amount of baking powder and baking soda I added. Last, my flour amount was slightly off too. Argh. I waited patiently for about 30 hours before I started baking. The cookies turned out beautifully, however, due to their size, I used nearly 30 minutes instead of the stipulated 18 – 20 minutes to bake these monsters.
The verdict? To be honest, I didn’t really know what to expect. Was I supposed to hear music or feel like dancing around like an idiot (see taiwanese foodie shows) after taking a bite? I got to admit that it was a darn good cookie. The sea salt adds a slightly more complex dimension to it and the cookie dough had a great texture. The expensive Valrhona chocolate helped too of course. Still, I wasn’t wowed by it. Perhaps it has got to do with expectation management. After seeing so many rave reviews about it, I naturally had really high hopes. Mr DC was real pleased with the cookie. He claimed that he could tell the difference, that this cookie was really really good. I am slightly skeptical about his comments as this is the same guy who couldn’t tell the difference between a chicken egg and a duck egg… For those interested to try out the recipe, check it out here.
