Apparently I have a thing for chocolate chip cookies. Or maybe I will never be satisfied. Ever since discovering and sharing the recipe for Tara's Chocolate Chip Cookies, I was convinced I never needed another chocolate chip cookie recipe in my life. Actually I never thought I would ever entertain the idea of making another version of a chocolate chip cookie. Evidently I had been holding out believing the sage old advice of 'never say never'. But two completely random events caused me to ultimately cave. The first was when a friend sent me a packet of recipes, including one for a Levain style chocolate chip cookie, she thought I might be interested in making. Considering she lives more than two thousand miles away, this was clearly a thoughtful, selfless gesture. In other words, she wouldn't get to be a taste tester. While scrolling through Instagram posts, I came across a posting from hi.imadehtis featuring a showdown of seven copycat Levain Bakery chocolate chip cookies. Call it serendipitous, but the chocolate chip cookie recipe sent by my friend and the winning showdown recipe were one in the same. I took it as a sign from the universe. One I couldn't ignore.
This wasn't going to be my first attempt at replicating the Levain style chocolate chip cookies. Last year I shared the recipe for Gigantic Chocolate Chip Cookies, my version of one shared by foodblogger, cookbook author Stella Parks. And just like that recipe, I tinkered with the Copycat Levain Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from Delish. Three of the changes made were intentional, but one was an unintentional oversight. But that unintentional change turned out to be a fortuitous one. Could I choose a favorite between the Gigantic Chocolate Chip Cookies and these Levain Style Chocolate Chip Cookies? I can't. Because I really, really liked them both. However, if I wanted to satisfy my craving for a ginormous chocolate chip without having to wait more than 3 hours, then I would make these cookies. If I could show some restraint, I would make the Gigantic Chocolate Chip Cookies.
So you might be wondering, if I already had a recipe for a Levain style cookie, why would I make another version? Like I said earlier, maybe I will never be satisfied. But in all seriousness, everything about this Levain Style Chocolate Chip Cookie defies everything I thought I knew about making cookies. Not only does it use cold butter, thus eliminating the need to take butter out to come to room temperature, it mixes in the chocolate chips and toasted walnuts before the flour is mixed in. What??!! And that's not all. The eggs are the last ingredient to be mixed in! The process of making these cookies was such a significant departure from all of the other cookies I have ever made, chocolate chip ones aside, caused me take pause. I almost didn't make them. Thank goodness I over rode my cookie baking instincts this time!
From start to finish you can be eating a incredibly delicious, satisfying, warm Levain Style Chocolate Chip Cookies in slightly more than three hours! For those of you with a limited ability hold off satisfy ing a craving, these are the cookies are for you!
When making these cookies, I strongly recommend you look for larger sized chocolate chips (not the regular, average sized ones) as you really want the chocolate to have a strong presence in each bite of the cookie. Additionally, use toasted versus instead of raw walnuts as toasting them is game changing flavor enhancer in any cookie.
This recipe makes eight GINORMOUS cookies. Each ball of dough weighs a little more than 6 ounces (172-176 grams). If you don't have a scale, evenly divide the dough into eight large balls.
When baking a batch of these cookies, you will need two baking pans. One for the cookies to bake on and one turned upside down underneath the pan holding the cookies you are baking. Turning one of the baking pans upside down helps to prevent the bottom of the cookies from getting too dark as they bake at a relatively high oven temperature (375 degrees F) for a relatively long time (24-26 minutes). And due to the size of these cookies, bake the eight (8) balls of dough in two batches.
Cookies and ice cream or cookies and milk? Which kind of chocolate chip cookie eater are you? And, yes, you can be both. You don't have to choose which one to go with these crispy on the outside, slightly doughy on the inside monstrously scrumptious, oh so satisfying cookies. Just when you think you didn't know or even believed your life needed another chocolate chip cookie recipe, one comes along to tempt you. To prove you should say never say never. If you have gotten this far in the blog post, the universe has now also sent a 'you need these Levain Style Chocolate Chip Cookies in your life" message to you.
Levain Style Chocolate Chip Cookies (inspired by the Copycat Levain Bakery Cookies from Delish)
Makes 8 ginormous cookies
Ingredients
2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (113 g) cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (8 oz/226 g) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed (recommend a European-style butter)
2/3 cup (134 g) light brown sugar (or combination of light and brown sugar) - See Notes
2/3 cup (134 g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups (340 g) dark chocolate, chocolate chips - See Notes
1 cup (4 oz/112g) walnut halves, toasted, very coarsely chopped
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Flaky sea salt for finishing (optional, but really good)
Directions
1. Combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt in a medium sized bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
2. Using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat cold butter on low speed until the butter cubes lose their shape (about 30-45 seconds).
3. Beat in the granulated sugar (about 30 seconds)
4. Beat in the brown sugar and vanilla (about 30 seconds). Mixture will be thick and creamy.
5. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts to distribute evenly in the batter (about 30 seconds).
6. On low speed mix in the dry ingredients in three additions. Do not over beat, but there should be no streaks of flour showing.
7. Add in the lightly beaten eggs in two additions. Beat until mixture forms a cohesive dough.
8. Divide the dough into 8 balls. Balls of dough will weigh slightly more than 6 ounces each (or 172-176 g).
9. Place the balls of dough on a baking sheet, lightly cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
10. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Get out two baking sheet pans Line only one baking pan with parchment paper.
11. Place 4 balls of the cookie on the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Place this baking sheet on top of an upside down baking sheet so the bottoms of each baking pan are touching. (Yes, you are using two baking sheets.)
12. Bake cookies for 22-24 minutes or until the edges and spots on top are lightly golden. Do not over bake the cookies. Let cookies rest on the cookie sheet for at least 5 minutes.
13. Remove from baking sheet and place on a cooling rack. Let cool slightly or let come to room temperature before serving.
14. Store any left over cookies in a tightly sealed container or wrap in a cellophane bag.
Notes: (1) I used a combination of light and dark brown sugars, about a 2/3 to 1/3 ratio. (2) I used Nestle's 53% Cacao chocolate chips because of their larger size. Next time I make them I would increase the amount of chocolate chips to at least 2 1/4 cups (383 g). (3) To toast walnuts, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Place walnut halves on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 10 minutes. (4) There were multiple changes made to the inspiration recipe: cake flour was decreased from 1 1/4 cups to 1 cup, kosher salt was increased from 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon, 2 teaspoons of vanilla were added, and the cookies were topped with flaky sea salt.