My second try at a copycat recipe for Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies. Loving how chunky these are; with pockets of melted chocolate inside!
It’s interesting how much the chocolate chip cookie has evolved over the years. From small-ish Chips Ahoy types of way back when, to palm-sized but thin cookies in twined packaging, now it’s all about the super fat, super big Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies. Or at least, I think those big chunkers were made popular by Levain Bakery from NYC. It was like I woke up one day and they had become the quintessential chocolate chip cookie.
Not that I’m complaining. More cookies, more fun, right?
Cookies have always been one of the most wonderful parts of the dessert world, in my opinion. I am especially partial to chocolate chip cookies, which is why it doesn’t come as a shock that I’ve been making them so much lately. If anything, the current cookie craze has made me a little obsessed with trying out different recipes to find “the one”. And because everyone’s been going crazy over the thick choco chip cookie, that’s also what I’ve been trying variations of.
This year alone, I have made more chocolate chip cookies than I have in the last three years. Seriously. And funnily enough, I don’t find it outrageous at all. In fact, I am quite enjoying myself and will continue to make and write about choco chip cookie recipes that I deem to be good ones. I will continue making those copycat versions of Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies, because so far the ones I’ve tried have been pretty good!
[CHECK OUT ALSO: My Choco Chip Cookie Recipe Collection!]
Across all the online cookie shops I’ve come across on Instagram, the chocolate chip cookies are bandied about as bestsellers. Though I may be biased, I do believe there’s good reason for that. I totally get the charm of a good old choco chip cookie after all. It’s the classic that never goes out of style, and probably also the classic that never fails any sort of palate. And this copycat recipe for Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies from the Broma Bakery blog won’t fail you either.
As the second attempt at a recipe that claims to be a copycat of Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies, I learned from my past mistakes and made adjustments to make sure I got close in terms of appearance to the original. After having attempted a version 1 that was flatter but with a texture I prefer to this, I was careful with this one. I really wanted to achieve that thick cookie body!
This version is slightly more cakey than chewy (and I do wonder if it’s because of the thickness of it), so in that sense I think I prefer the first recipe I tried in terms of texture. These are more attractive visually though. As for the taste, both of them are really good, so I feel like you can make either and just make sure to pile on the dough.
I loved that these cookies aren’t too sweet but have a really nice aftertaste, with caramel and chocolate notes. I also achieved those melty chocolate pockets by once again using part Auro 55% chocolate and part Nestle Toll House semisweet chips, just like with the other recipe I shared this week for the Double Chocolate Chip Cookies. The only thing I forgot was the sea salt on top. Seems like once you start doing the salt thing, you start looking for it in all your chocolate chip cookies.
Recipe notes
As I mentioned in my previous post, I halved the original recipe because I wanted to make two different recipes with just one cup of butter. Similarly, this starts out with cold butter, but cut into small cubes to make mixing easier. The first step is actually to beat the cubed pieces of butter until it starts to come together into one big lump. (Using a machine or by hand is fine.)
Once the sugars go in, it’s important to cream them together with the butter very well. You want to mix until the sugar incorporates into the butter fully and the butter turns lighter in shade. It will take at least 2 minutes of beating to turn the batter fluffy. Then in goes the beaten cold egg and vanilla, to be incorporated well into the batter.
Now we throw in the dry ingredients to transform the mixture into a dough, being careful not to overmix. Stop mixing when you see that just the slightest bit of flour remains unmixed in the dough. Remember: You will mix the dough again once you get your chocolates in. We don’t want to overwork the dough, but the act of folding in the chocolate with a spatula to evenly distribute should ensure that everything is well-incorporated.
Now that the dough is ready, we want to portion it into 6 even mounds. Remember to pile the dough up high so they come out chunky. I have an ice cream scoop so I used that to get relatively even-looking balls. As mounds, the dough goes into the fridge for some chilling time. The cold helps dry out excess unneeded moisture from the dough, but the important role of refrigeration all comes down to the baking. Cold dough does not spread as much as room temp dough does. This is not a theory but a fact.
In short, the only way to get those thick chunkers is to get the cookies to bake through before they expand too much inside the oven. And the way to do that is by baking dough cold from the fridge, in mounds that are piled on nice and high.
GORGEOUS! These cookies are pretty heavy and filling. I could never finish a whole piece on my own, although I sometimes find myself nibbling through. Slowly. I love the golden, rustic, and craggly look on the surface of chocolate chip cookies. It’s totally charming. Even more so when they taste as good as they look! Those pockets of chocolate in the cookies are there to make sure. 😉
Copycat Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies 2.0
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 7 Tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg, cold, lightly beaten in a separate bowl
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- 1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- 2. n a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- 3. In a large bowl (or the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment), beat the butter until it comes together in one lump, about 1 minute. Add in the sugars and beat for 2 minutes or until the sugar dissolves into the butter. Add in the eggs and vanilla, beating until well combined. (If your batter is lumpy, that's normal.)
- 4. Gradually add in the flour mixture, mixing just until little streaks of flour remain. Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- 5. Divide the dough into 6 even roundish mounds, spacing 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes up to a maximum of 12 hours before baking.
- 6. Once ready to bake, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, or until light golden brown on top and around the edges. (When in doubt, take the cookies out early since they will continue to cook as they cool.) Allow the cookies to set for a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
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