Description
Levain Bakery-style Chocolate Chip Cookies are thick, chunky, and irresistibly gooey, featuring a perfect balance of buttery dough, crunchy walnuts, and large melty chocolate chunks. These cookies have a rustic texture and are baked to golden perfection, delivering a decadent homemade treat reminiscent of New York’s beloved bakery.
Ingredients
Butter and Sugars
- 1 cup (2 sticks/240g) unsalted butter, softened and diced
- 3/4 cup (135g) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
Eggs
- 2 large eggs
Flours and Leavening
- 1 cup (about 120g) homemade cake flour*
- 1 1/2 cup (180g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Add-ins
- 2 cups (250g) walnut halves
- 2 cups (350g) large chocolate chips/chunks**
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 400°F (200°C) to ensure it reaches the right temperature by the time your dough is ready to bake.
- Mix Butter: Place softened and diced butter in a mixing bowl and start your mixer on low speed.
- Add Sugars: Add light brown sugar and sugar to the butter and beat on medium speed until the mixture becomes smooth, approximately 1 minute.
- Incorporate Eggs: Add the two eggs and beat on medium speed just until combined with the butter and sugar, about 30 seconds. Avoid overmixing.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Turn off the mixer and add the homemade cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt to the bowl. Pulse on low speed until the dry ingredients are just incorporated into the wet mixture.
- Add Walnuts and Chocolate: Pour in the walnut halves and large chocolate chips/chunks, using a rubber spatula to fold them evenly throughout the batter.
- Shape Cookies: Divide the dough into 8 roughly equal pieces, about 6 oz (170g) each for thick cookies. Shape them by hand into rough, chunky mounds—do not use a scoop or flatten the dough, preserving the signature rustic look.
- Bake: Place 4 cookies per baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 11 minutes until the tops and bottoms are slightly golden. Avoid overbaking to keep the gooey center intact.
- Cool: Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 15 minutes before serving to let them set perfectly.
Notes
- Homemade cake flour can be substituted with store-bought cake flour for convenience.
- Use large chocolate chunks instead of typical chips for a more decadent melt.
- Do not flatten cookie dough; maintaining a rough shape ensures the signature thick, chunky cookie texture.
- If preferred, divide dough into smaller pieces for regular-sized cookies, baking times may need slight adjustment.
- Let cookies cool adequately to achieve the best texture and ease of handling.
