Keeps gettin' better and better - Leite's chocolate chip cookies

I just have no idea why I am so obssessed with chocolate chip cookies. I am not American and I did not grow up or study in America. I certainly was not brought up on those. My mom did bake them for me time to time, but not so much that I should be obssesed with it.

I baked chocolate chip cookies many many times, tried classic Toll House recipe and Jaque Torres's many times. But I could never get the ones I pictured in my mind until I tried Golden Syrup chocolate chip cookies. Even than, I had to squash the cookies a bit to get the shape I wanted. Then I came across Smitten Kitchen's. Leite is the one who actually came up with the recipe, and the pictures in Smitten Kitchen seemed very nice, so I gave that a go.

It was perfect. I am so happy with it that I can confidently sell those delicious cookies at the cafe that I dream to have one day. (Wishful thinking it is)
It was buttery, cripsy, had a slight touch of toffe. It stayed chewy after cooling down. Crackly, rippled top was attractive.

I did make some change from the original recipe. I did not add all the chocolate I was supposed to, but instead, put in about 80% of the original recipe. Not that I have anything against chocolate, but I always felt that Torres' recipe is a bit overloaded with chocolate.

Leite’s Consummate Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen / David Leite via The New York Times

*** I halved the original recipe. It makes around 16-17 cookies.

1 cups minus 1 TSP cake flour
5/6 cups bread flour
5/8 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons coarse salt
140g unsalted butter
5/8 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 TSP granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
200g bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content
Sea salt

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. 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 try to incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. [Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.]

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.