best ever chocolate chip cookies

These are hands down the best cookies I have made, ever... If you like your cookies with a crisp edge, chewy centre and packed with chocolate you NEED to make these. Like now, right now. The dough rests in the fridge for at least 24 hours so start now and cookie perfection could be but a day away!

•   c o o k i e   p e r f e c t i o n   •

I spent most of last week in the Southern Highlands, recipe testing, baking and prepping for "Christmas in July" - we snuck in just in time this year, although it wouldn't have been the first time we've celebrated "Christmas in August". These cookies, and maybe the spiced cherry jam, were the best things I made. Adapted slightly from the New York Times recipe that made the rounds of so many blogs a few years ago; the original makes giant 5 1/2 inch cookies, mine a more petite 3 1/2. The rolling and chilling are absolutely worth the effort, the calories too...

best ever chocolate chip cookies

210g cake flour*
210g bread flour*
1 tsp bicarb soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp table salt
250g butter, at room temperature
250g light brown sugar
200g granulated sugar
2 large eggs
seeds from 1 vanilla bean, or 1 tsp vanilla extract
500g chocolate, roughly chopped (pieces no larger than 2cm)
sea salt flakes

* I suspect 420g regular plain flour would work just as well, in the interest of science I'll test this theory at the weekend :)

• sift the cake flour, bread flour, bicarb soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl, set aside
• using a stand mixer, if you have one, with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until very light; you'll need to scrape the sides of the bowl every so often, it will take around 5 minutes, longer if your butter is firm
• with the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined, then mix in the vanilla
• turn your mixer to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, mix until just combined, tip in the chopped chocolate, mix through gently, trying not to break the pieces
• line a baking tray with baking paper
• roll walnut sized balls of dough and place them on the baking tray, (you can really pack them in here as they are going into the fridge to rest) sprinkle with salt flakes, cover with plastic wrap then refrigerate for at least 24 hours, and a maximum of 72. Mine chilled for about 36 and were fabulous!
• when you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 175ºC, cook 6 or 8 cookies at a time for 12-15 minutes, until just golden
• the cookies will be very soft, almost raw looking in the centre, leave them on the tray on a cooling rack for a few minutes to firm up, then transfer them to another rack and leave to cool, maybe sneaking a few while still warm ;)
• store in an airtight container, I'm sure they'd keep for a week, ours lasted 2 days (there were 10 of us, don't judge :) )

makes approximately 36 cookies