If you haven’t had the pleasure of walking NEAR or around Levain Bakery, it’s a must-do the next time you visit New York City. The intoxicating scent of freshly baked cookies hits you in the face as soon as you’re in the area, but there will be no doubt where it’s coming from, because most often than not, there will be a line leading out of the tiny bakery.
They have several baked goods, but their main focus are their super thick, big, and rich cookies! Every time we’re in New York, we eat one while warm, right on the spot, and then take home a few more as gifts.
I’m not saying that this recipe for Hearty Chocolate Chip Cookies is the exact dupe for Levain’s signature recipe by any means. I don’t have any tricks up my sleeve, but I do use bread flour, which gives them a nice crusty exterior and a soft and fluffy but also chewy interior…I assure you, you won’t be disappointed.
These guys are dense and delicious. They smell amazing when they’re in the oven, so you’ll have a hard time letting them rest for a few minutes on the cooling rack. The bread flour gives them an amazing texture and you’ll be able to tell as soon as you pick one up.
I love my Chewy Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies too, so maybe that’s why I wanted to add nuts to this one as well. Levain adds walnuts to their chocolate chip cookies, so I did the same. I think adding the walnuts and two different types of chocolate chips makes this cookie not overly sweet, which I LOVE.
Serve them at a Christmas party on a cake stand or keep them in your favorite cookie jar around the holiday season…as long as they fit!
They’re so thick and hearty that oftentimes Joe and I will just share one. But when they come straight out of the oven, it’s definitely hard to practice self-control. They’re awesome with a tall glass of cold milk or a hot cup of coffee. Wait…if they’re made with bread flour does it mean I can eat one for breakfast? Watch how I make them step-by-step in our latest VIDEO, EPISODE 6 of Bits + Pieces Cooking Show SEASON 5 BELOW:
Admittedly, I’m not the hugest chocolate fan, and neither is Joe, so the amount of chocolate chips I use are perfect for us. You still get the rich gooeyness and chocolatey flavor, but you also taste the flavor of the dough. To me, it almost has a buttery caramel taste to it, which is so scrumptious.
Because they’re so huge and dense, I usually only bake 6 at a time, even though the recipe makes 12. But that’s why it’s perfect because you have to FREEZE the dough BEFORE baking anyhow! So now I always have a stash in my freezer for the times the cravings hit. All I know is that Santa will be very happy to stop by our home this year…if we save any for him!
Hearty Chocolate Chip Cookies (Levain Bakery Inspired)
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large cold eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold butter on medium speed about 1 minute to soften slightly. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, and mix until incorporated and fluffy. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Mix on medium-low speed until the mixture looks blended. Turn off the machine and add the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed just until the dough comes together. Turn off the machine and fold in the walnuts and chocolate chips by hand using a rubber spatula. You will have to use some muscle!
- Drop scoops of the dough onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets; you should be able to fit 6 cookies on each sheet. Place the baking sheets in the freezer for 1 hour. It’s necessary for the dough to be completely frozen when you put the cookies in the oven or they will spread out too much and not have a soft, chewy interior.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Transfer the baking sheets directly from the freezer to the oven and bake the cookies for 18 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges and beginning to brown on top, but still slightly underbaked in the middle. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
TIP: If you want to make these the dough in advance, you can. Scoop and place on a baking sheet to freeze completely, then place in a ziplock bag. Just bake what you want when you want it!
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