Cookie Experiment

Here I am with the eagerly-awaited results of those 36-hour cookies I tried. They were pretty good. Very good, in fact, but I don't think they are truly my favorite cookies ever. (Many others have tried this experiment as well; I don't pretend to any special expertise except that I really, really like cookies.)

Here's what I thought about the recipe: (find it here)

• I liked the the extra amount of salt---and it was coarse/kosher salt (not sure if that made a difference). It called for 1 1/2 t. instead of the more normal 1/2-1 tsp., and I really could taste it in the dough. I liked the interesting dimension that added to the cookies' sweetness. As far as the sea salt sprinkled on top of each cookie, it wasn't as noticeable as you might think. It wasn't offensive or anything, but I think the extra salt in the dough made more of a difference. I might try just doing one or the other next time.
• I baked some cookies at about 30 hours, then more at 48 and 72. I didn't really notice much difference between the 3 times. The 72-hour ones maybe were a bit more toffee/caramelly tasting, but also a bit more crispy. And even the 30-hour ones had that same toffee flavor. It's quite yummy. When cooked the right amount of time (I did 16 min. instead of 18-20---maybe my cookies were smaller or something?), the outside ring of the cookie has a nice, deep, caramelly crunch to it, with the inside still staying soft. But my favorite cookies achieve that same flavor by the inclusion of toffee chips. So, next time I might try making my favorites, but letting them have an overnight resting period, to see if that intensifies the flavor even more, and if it's worth it.
• I didn't do the 2 kinds of flour---there didn't seem to be any reason for it. I did add quite a bit more flour than the recipe called for---I think. I don't have kitchen scales or anything, so I'm never really sure how accurate my measurements are. I debated whether I should add more (I was trying to be faithful to the recipe after all, or it wouldn't be a valid trial), but I finally just thought I should follow my instincts. You know how you sort of get a feel for how the dough should be. I just added flour until the dough looked and felt right to me.
• I didn't use "high-quality chocolate." Perhaps if I had, I would have been way more impressed.

All in all: a good recipe, but not my favorite one ever. Still, we are happily devouring the cookies.