White Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodles - Levain Style

In full disclosure I was well into my adulthood before I had my first taste of a snickerdoodle. And up until that point I am pretty sure I had never heard of those soft, chewy, slightly cakey, full of sweet cinnamon-sugar flavor cookies before that. Maybe if I had grown up in a Dutch, German or Amish home, I would have. And it was actually mindboggling to learn snickerdoodles have been around since the 1800s. Yet, in spite of their two century's old history, they never found a way into my childhood. 

If, by chance, I could time travel back to my youth these humongous, gorgeous, divinely delicious White Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodles (Levain Style) would be the ones, the only ones, I would have wanted waiting for me after-school or finding in the cookie jar. Because this version of a snickerdoodle is nothing short of pure cookie insanity. Even the most loyal chocolate chip cookie eater would find these snickerdoodle cookies irresistible. 

So, what makes these White Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodles (Levain Style) so extraordinary, so different than the more traditional, classic version? To start with, the ingredients go well beyond butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and cinnamon. This version includes the use of baking powder, the use of both an egg and (two) egg yolks, a generous amount of cinnamon, brown sugar as well as granulated sugar, cornstarch, white chocolate chips and a flaky sea salt finish. All which help to create the dreamiest, most decadent, swoonworthy type of snickerdoodles. 

But more than just the ingredients, the assembly and baking process is drastically different. While many snickerdoodle recipes call for room temperature butter, this one calls for chilled butter. An unlike most traditional recipes which are baked as soon as the batter comes together, these snickerdoodles require a 24-hour freezing time. That freezing time allows the butter and sugars to meld (creating an even richer tasting cookie), reduces the amount of spread during baking (creating a thick, luscious cookie), and enables the flour to become hydrated (contributing to an even chewier texture). 

If there is one downside to this recipe it's that it only makes ten cookies. But with the dough divided into ten 4.5 ounce balls (shaped into tall cylindrical rather than round mounds) the baked snickerdoodles end up being almost 4.5 inches in diameter, having a significant thickness as well as looking like they came from a high-end bakery. 

The baking temperature in snickerdoodle recipes ranges anywhere from 325 to 400 degrees (F). Rather than baking these cookies at a high temperature for a short period of time, these are baked at the lower 325 degrees (F) temperature for somewhere between 24-26 minutes. The longer baking time and lower baking temperature truly create the most beautiful, perfectly textured, some scrumptious snickerdoodles. Your head will be spinning after you bite into them! And the addition of white chocolate chips to them and a flaky sea salt finish are game changers.

If you have never had a snickerdoodle before or have a rather indifferent opinion about them, you need to make these bar-raising, deeply flavorful, pillowy, cinnamon-y White Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodles (Levain Style). I promise your cookie eating life will be changed forever (for the better!). 

Recipe

White Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodles - Levain Style

Makes 10 ginormous cookies

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups (405g) all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons (6g) cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

1 cup (200g) light brown sugar

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/3 cups (230g) white chocolate chips

Flaky Sea Salt (for finishing)

3 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Directions

1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, cinnamon, and Kosher salt. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined but not overly creamy (you will still see some small pieces of butter).

3. Beat in the egg and egg yolks until well blended.

4. Mix in the vanilla.

5. Add in the dry ingredients in two additions. Beat until blended.

6. Mix in the white chocolate chips.

7. Divide the cookies into 10 even pieces (they should each weight 4.5 ounces or 127g). Shape the cookies so they are taller than they are wide (think cylindrical).

8. Mix together the 3 Tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1 Tablespoon cinnamon. Roll the cookies in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Use all of the cinnamon/sugar mixture.

9. Put the dough on a small sheet pan, cover well with plastic wrap and freeze for 24 hours.

10. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (F).

11. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 5 dough balls on each sheet, spreading out even as the cookies will spread as they bake.

12. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

13. Baking one sheet at a time bake the cookies for 24-26 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet for 10-12 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

14. Enjoy immediately or wrap in glassine or cellophane bags.

15. Note: The cookies are at their absolute best on the day they are baked. They are still very delicious on day two and three (if they last that long) but keep stored in an airtight container.

Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole, Wyoming (September 2024)

Maple Granola

If you have been to a Farmer's Market lately you have probably come across a table selling homemade granola. Usually sold in twelve ounce bags, you can expect to pay anywhere from $16 to $20 for a bag of granola. For that quantity, it might be considered to be on the pricey side. And while these Farmer's Market bags of granola make for a great hostess gift, a jar of your own homemade granola would be an equally great (or even better) gift. As a bonus, you can make enough to give to a friend and to enjoy yourself! 

My cravings for granola have increased significantly now that I have been eating Greek yogurt on a regular, almost daily, basis. In addition to some fresh blueberries, a tiny amount of honey, and several dark chocolate chips, mixing in some homemade granola takes the yogurt eating experience to whole new level of deliciousness. I have discovered that I love a very nutty granola, one also having the flavors of maple and cinnamon as well as being chockful of dried fruit. Dried cherries and dried cranberries being amongst my favorites. So I decided to use this recipe from the blog as the framework in developing the recipe for this Maple Granola.

And there were a myriad of changes made to that recipe. From reducing the amount of oats, to eliminating the use of honey, to increasing the amounts of maple syrup, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and dried fruit, to adding pistachios, to altering the baking temperature. The combination of all of these changes resulted in an even more delicious, heartier, more satisfying granola. In other words, this may be the BEST granola recipe now on the blog. And it's now my favorite!

Without any artificial ingredients, this Maple Granola is naturally sweetened by the dark brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and vanilla. The added sweetness comes from the addition of the dried fruit.

Because this Maple Granola is load with nuts, it's one having a high level of protein. When compared to a store-bought granola, this one is so much healthier! With a shelf life of about 4 weeks, this Maple Granola is perfect for giving to and/or sending out to friends. It also makes for a great hostess gift!

I will be putting this Maple Granola on repeat for an indefinite period of time as I can't imagine getting tired of either making or eating obscene amounts of it. Not only because it is so deeply flavorful and textured, but it brings me joy every time I have some. Whether it's just a small handful to snack on, or a topping on my yogurt, or mixed with some milk, this Maple Granola has definitely become my latest obsession. And who knows, once you make this granola you might never again buy any from the Farmer's Market! 

Recipe

Maple Granola

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups (280g) old-fashioned oats

3/4 cup (92g) wheat germ 

3/4 cup (80g) oat bran

1/2 cup (72g) sunflower seeds

1/2 cup (113g) whole almonds

1/2 cup ( 58g) pecan halves

1/2 cup (56g) walnut halves

1/3 cup (66g) dark brown sugar

2/3 cup pure maple syrup (or could use as little as 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup canola oil or vegetable oil or a high quality extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 large egg white, whipped to very, very soft peaks

1 1/2 cups (215g) dried fruit mixture (e.g., dried cherries, dried cranberries, raisins, apricots, etc.)

1/2 cup (78g) roasted and salted pistachios

Optional additions: chocolate chips, coconut flakes, cashews instead of pistachios.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees (F). Line a large rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, wheat germ, oat bran, sunflower seeds, almonds. pecans, and walnuts.

3. In a medium sized saucepan, combine the dark brown sugar, maple syrup, and canola oil. Bring to boil. Immediately remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, and Kosher salt.

4. Pour over the oat mixture. Stir to combine.

5. Add the lightly whipped egg white. Stir to combine.

6. Transfer the mixture to baking pan. Evenly spread out on the baking sheet.

7. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown. Halfway through the baking process, stir the mixture. 

8. Remove pan from the oven and press the mixture down firmly with your hands or with a meat mallet. This will help create clumps when you break the cooled granola apart.

9. Top with dried fruit and pistachios. Note: I used dried cherries and dried cranberries. 

10. Let granola completely cool to room temperature. Break the granola apart into various sizes of clusters (not all of the granola will cluster). 

11. Store the granola in a tightly sealed storage container or wrap in cellophane bags tied with string/ribbon or a tightly sealed jar. Granola will be good for up to 4 weeks if stored in a dry, cool place.

12. Serve granola with milk or yogurt. Or top a bowl of ice cream with a handful of granola or just eat it as a snack!

Notes: (1) Use your favorite dried fruit. Use all dried cranberries, all dried cherries, all raisins, all dried apricots and/or any combination of them. (2) In addition to dried fruit add in semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup) for an even more decadent version. (3) The recipe can easily be doubled. Divide mixture between two large baking pans. If you are lucky enough to have a double oven, put a baking pan of granola in each oven. If you only have a single oven, rotate your two baking trays halfway through the baking process. (4) I generally buy my dried fruit from Trader Joe's. (5) If gifting this granola, I highly recommend putting it large canning jars. Not only do they make for a beautiful presentation, they increase the shelf life of the granola.