Recipes

BakerBear Triple Chocolate Chip Sea Salt Cookies

August 4, 2022 · Updated December 20, 2022  · 2 min read

If you know me, this is my go-to cookie, so here’s my “secret” recipe…

I said secret because it’s not one; I never really got around to writing it down until now. These can be a little finicky, with two types of flour, 3 chocolates, and a resting period, but trust me, it’s worth it.

Tip: I prefer weight measures for ingredients versus volume; weights create consistent results and make it easy to scale or half the recipe. If you don’t already have a food prep scale, they run about $20 on Amazon or most big box retailers with a baking/home section.

Baker Bear’s Triple Chocolate Chip Sea Salt Cookies

Adapted from Jacques Torres’s Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

(Note: this recipe requires at least a 5qt mixer; for smaller home mixers, half the recipe)

  • (1lb, 1oz) King Arthur or Snow Downs Cake Flour (slightly less than 4c) + 1–2 Tbsp for chocolate
  • (1lb, 1oz) King Arthur Bread Flour
  • 2.5 tsp. baking soda
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • 3 tsp. good coarse salt (+ some for topping the cookies)
  • 5 sticks unsalted butter (2.5 c)
  • 20 oz. light brown sugar (2.5 c)
  • 16 oz. granulated sugar (2¾ c)
  • 4 extra-large eggs
  • 5–6 tsp. excellent natural vanilla extract (don’t skimp on vanilla)
  • 10 oz. Ghiradelli 60% Cocoa Baking Chips
  • 12 oz. Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate Baking Chips
  • 12 oz. Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet Baking Chips (I prefer the grand chips)
  • ~½ tsp Cayenne Pepper (to taste)

Method

  1. Combine the cake and bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt in a bowl.

  2. Cream the butter and sugars together until light and pale in color, using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for approx. 4–5 mins. (As a side note, I’ve made this recipe by hand before, so use whatever you have.)

  3. Add the eggs, one at a time. Once combined, add vanilla and cayenne pepper.

  4. On low speed (trust me on this one!), add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

  5. In a large bowl, combine the chocolates with 1–2 Tbsp of cake flour, and shake or mix to coat the chips.

  6. Slowly mix the chocolate with the batter and combine.

  7. At this point, you have one of two options:

    • Option A: Cover the dough and place it in the refrigerator to rest for at least 4 hours. After the dough has rested, you can portion the cookies with a cookie scoop.
    • Option B: Using a 1½ oz. cookie scoop, drop the cookies on a cookie sheet, and then refrigerate and rest. (I prefer this method because I often freeze half of the cookies, which are then ready to take out and bake in any quantity.)

  8. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.

  9. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.

  10. Arrange the cookies (12 per half-sheet pan) and sprinkle lightly with coarse sea salt.

  11. Bake until golden brown but still soft, 18–20 minutes. (I rotate the cookie sheet halfway through; if baking more than one tray at a time, rotate the trays at this point.)

  12. Transfer the sheet to a wire rack to cool.

  13. Repeat with remaining dough. Reserve dough in the refrigerator (up to 3 days) or freeze for baking at another time.

Grab a napkin and enjoy them warm for a special treat.