Description
Levain bakery chocolate chip cookies emerge as a New York City culinary legend with massive, crisp-edged cookies packed with gooey chocolate chunks. Bakers can recreate this famous treat at home, delivering intense chocolate and butter flavors you’ll savor with each memorable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cake flour
- 2 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold & cubed
- 2 large eggs, cold
Supporting Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup walnuts (optional)
Leavening and Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients and equipment to create oversized, bakery-style chocolate chip cookies with a crisp exterior and soft, gooey center.
- Combine flour varieties, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl, whisking thoroughly to distribute dry ingredients evenly.
- Cream cold butter with brown and granulated sugars using an electric mixer until the mixture becomes light and slightly fluffy.
- Incorporate eggs individually, mixing minimally to maintain dough’s delicate texture.
- Slowly integrate dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined to prevent overmixing.
- Gently fold chocolate chips and chopped walnuts into the dough, ensuring even distribution.
- Portion dough into substantial 4-6 ounce spheres, creating generously sized cookies with dramatic height.
- Arrange cookie dough balls on parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them adequately to allow spreading.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 9-12 minutes, watching for golden-brown edges while maintaining a soft, tender center.
- Remove from oven and allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, enabling further gentle cooking and structural stabilization.
Notes
- Ensure butter is truly cold to achieve the signature dense, rich texture Levain is famous for.
- Use a kitchen scale for precise 4-6 oz dough portions to maintain consistent cookie size and baking performance.
- Refrigerate dough balls for 15-30 minutes before baking to prevent excessive spreading and maintain thick, bakery-style height.
- For gluten-free variation, swap all-purpose and cake flour with a high-quality gluten-free flour blend, adding xanthan gum for better structure.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 191 kcal
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 83 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 24 mg