Chocolate chip cookies for the Party Bus

party-busAll aboard the party bus! Its time to visit the wineries in Virginia and what better way to get there than on a party bus?? The bus we found is actually a retrofitted submarine (as you can see) and decked out with neon lights and sound system. As you can imagine, we were the envy of all the other winery visitors.

The vineyards we went to were fantastic, in particular, I highly recommend Stone Tower Winery (stonetowerwinery.com) for great wine, beautiful views and wonderful ambience.

But since the wineries are a good 2 hours drive in the Party bus, we of course needed munchies. These chocolate chip cookies were perfect. They are deliciously chewy and chocolate-rich. The secret is to let the cookie dough chill for 24 hours to allow all the rich flavours to intensify and to ensure that, when baked, the dough firms but remains soft inside. Also don’t skip on the sea salt before popping them in the oven!





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This makes about 30 cookies using a 2 inch cookie cutter, but you can obviously make

bigger or smaller cookies to yield less or more, just be sure to adjust the cooking time and watch them in the oven like a hawk!


Ingredients


    

  • 2cups minus 2 tablespoons (9.5 oz) all purpose flour
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  • 1 ⅔cups (7.5 oz) bread flour
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  • 1 ¼teaspoons baking soda
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  • 1 ½teaspoons baking powder
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  • 1.5teaspoons salt (DON’T FORGET THIS!!)
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  • 2 ½sticks /unsalted butter
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  • 1 ¼cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
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  • 1cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
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  • 2large eggs
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  • 1 heaped tablespoon natural vanilla extract
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  • 1 pound chocolate chunks (I use Valrhona fèves from wholefoods). This is a LOT of chocolate so use your judgement about how much you actually want.
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  • Sea salt.
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Method


    

  • Combine flours, baking soda, baking powder and SALT into a bowl/large tupperware that you can easily cover and refridgerate. Set aside.
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  • Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate in flour bowl/tupperware for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
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  • When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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  • Scoop mounds of dough (the size of golf balls) onto baking sheet, using a 2 inch cookie cutter. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until just golden but still soft, 12 to 13 minutes. Eat warm 🙂
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