Giant Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies with Fleur de Sel
A dessert plate sized cookie, filled with chewiness, wrinkly edges, decadent chocolate chunks with a hint of fleur de sel. What is now known as "pan-banging" cookies the time and effort are worth every minute.
Cream butter for about 2 minutes, scrape down sides before adding sugar. Add sugars and cream well for 2-4 minutes, on medium-high; on the longer side if using natural cane sugar. Add egg, vanilla and water; mixing on low to combine. Once combined, scrape down sides, then increase speed to medium-high and whirl around for about 1 minute.
Measure flour into a separate bowl. Add baking soda and salt to flour and stir with a fork or whisk to combine. Slowly add flour mixture (about ½ cup at a time), mix on low and scrape down the sides once or twice while adding your flour until combined.
Chop chocolate on a cutting board, using random chops so that you get a variety of chocolate chunks. You want some shavings, some bigger chunks (about ½") and some smaller ones. Add chopped chocolate to the dough and mix on low until just combined.
Line 3 - 11x17 (ish) sheet pans with aluminum foil, dull side up (helps make those chewy, crunchy crinkles)
To make them just like they are pictured, use a large ice cream sized scoop and scoop out a heaping amount of dough, a heaping ⅓ cup, plus a bit more is what I found worked. If desired, weigh each scoop, about 3.5 oz each.
You should be able to fit 4 per pan, but do 3 if it makes you feel more comfortable. They do sometimes run into each other, but they will separate easily when finished.
Preheat oven to 350° and adjust the rack to the center of the oven, you'll only bake one pan at a time, so plan accordingly.
DO NOT MISS THIS STEP!
Place entire pan with dough balls into the freezer for 15 minutes before baking. This will insure that they don't spread too far, too fast. Once oven is preheated and you've waited the allotted 15 minutes freezer time, remove the first pan from the freezer (replacing with the second and so on) and place in hot oven on the middle rack.
Bake for 10 minutes until the cookies are puffed slightly in the center.
After 10 minutes, slam the pan. This will feel weird if you are a baker, but lift the pan about 4 inches and let it "slam" or drop back down to the rack, so that the edges settle and the puffiness goes down. Turn pan and slam it again. It's oddly satisfying.
Close oven and bake for another 2-3 minutes, do it all over again, smack down that pan, get those wrinkles!
Bake for another 2-4 minutes until edges are golden but the middle is still gooey. Drop pan again as you remove from oven onto a cooling rack for a total baking time of about 16-18 minutes.
Once removed (and dropped again) sprinkle a little Fleur de Sel over the top of the warm cookies. If you don't have Fleur de Sel, just use regular sea salt. But truly, this salt is amazing a little goes a long way!
Allow to cool completely on baking sheet before removing with large spatula. Store in airtight container or freeze. Repeat process with remaining dough balls. Share with a family member, friend or neighbor.
Notes
Notes: #1 | In my second batch I made the cookies using Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips, I rough chopped them a bit, but mostly put them in whole, I liked them better with the bar chocolate, but they work in a pinch.#2 | The cookies may be frozen, but are best eaten fresh, always, fresh is best! If you do freeze the cookies, place them on a baking sheet in a preheated 250° oven for 2-3 minutes, it will soften the cookie just right.#4 | I made several batches of these to have on hand and froze the dough balls like I do with my Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, allowing them to come to room temperature for about 10-15 minutes (about the time it takes to preheat your oven), then bake as planned.