Well, my 36 hour chocolate chip cookies did, in fact, turn out; so, as promised, I’ve got the recipe for you today.  Hooray!  Chocolate on a Monday!  What could be better?

Maybe it could not be Monday?  Well, I’m not adept at the art of manipulating space and time just yet, so these cookies will have to do.

Here’s a dirty little secret for your Monday, also: I… am not super into chocolate chip cookies.  I know — I hate birthday cake (blech), I’m not big on pie, and I can take or leave a chocolate chip cookie.  I should probably be deported for being un-American.  The thing is, while I pride myself on not being a picky eater when it comes to general foods, I am suuuper picky about dessert.

So, anyway, there’s that.  Basically, I’m the worst.

Despite my “whatever” attitude towards these cookies, others have informed me that these are “the best” chocolate chip cookies, so I will take their word for it.

And even for me (the “who really cares about chocolate chip cookies, let’s just eat the dough” person), these were pretty darn good.

So dust off your Kitchenaid mixer and prep these bad boys 36 hours before you actually want to eat them.  Oh, and try not to eat all the dough out of the fridge while you’re waiting for them to “cure.”

36 Hour Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

originally by NYTimes and Jaques Torres

makes about 25 (giant) cookies

• 2 cups minus 2 tbsp cake flour
• 1 2/3 cups bread flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt (I used kosher, but sea salt would also work well)
• 2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) room-temperature unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar (I used light brown)
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 large eggs (at room temp)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 pounds chocolate chips (at least 60% cacao content — I used Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chocolate chips)
• sea salt (I used Maldon flake salt)

1. Combine and whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt, then set aside.
2. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until very light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes).
3. Add in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla, beating well to incorporate between each.
4. Scrape down sides of bowl, turn mixer to low and add dry ingredients until just incorporated.  (Make sure to scrape all sides of the bowl — the bottom of the mixing bowl tends to not become as well-incorporated as the rest.)
5. Add chocolate chips (either fold these in by hand with a spatula — it’s a workout!  Or, add these in with the mixer on low, mixing just until combined.
6. Turn out dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap.  Shape into a large disk, cover with wrap and refrigerate 36 – 72 hours.
7. When you’re ready to bake, remove dough from fridge and let soften slightly.  Preheat oven to 350°.
8. Scoop dough onto a lined baking sheet (use parchment or a Silpat), making generous golf-ball sized mounds, 6 cookies to a sheet.  Sprinkle top with sea salt and bake until golden brown and just cracking on top, 15-20 minutes.  (If you’re doing more than one sheet of cookies at a time, rotate your pans halfway through).
9. Let cool on a wire rack.

*If you’re a crazy person like me and like less chocolate chips in your chocolate chip cookies, I would use about half the recommended amount (10oz).