Chocolate Chip Cookies, Levain Bakery- Style
The big & thick, cakey kind, loaded with chocolate chips! When you want a serious mouthful of cookie! Inspired by the Levain Bakery of New York City and Georgetown. Special enough to take the place of a wedding cake!
Chocolate Chip Cookies - levain Bakery-Style
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup firmly packed, light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 ¾ teaspoons bakng powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2 ½ cups chocolate chips, for best taste, assorted to include semi-sweet, 60%, milk chocolate
1 - 1 ½ cups chopped pecan or walnuts (optional)
-In a medium mixing bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, light brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla extract, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg. Mix on low then gradually increase the speed to medium and beat until the dough is soft and smooth, about 8 minutes.
-With the mixer running, add eggs one at a time, letting each incorporate fully before adding the next. Reduce speed to low, then add the flour all at once. When flour is incorporated, add chocolate chips and nuts then stir by hand to distribute with a sturdy wooden spoon.
-Divide the dough into 8 equal portions (for the traditional large cookie) then form each into a smooth ball. (If the dough sticks to your hands, moisten your hands a bit to more easily shape the balls.) Wrap the balls of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 12 hours before baking or overnight. Dough can be kept in the fridge for up to a week if well wrapped.
-Preheat the oven to 350°F, then line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Arrange 4 balls of the cold dough on the prepared pan with plenty of space between them for them to spread. If you like an extra bite of salt, sprinkle a bit of additional salt on top of each. Bake until the cookies are puffed and lightly brown, for 20 - 22 minutes, according to your preference. Cool cookies directly on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy the cookies warm, or within 12 hours; these cookies taste best when freshly baked. Makes 8 large cookies. (You can make these cookies smaller but they will not resemlbe as well, the dense, meaty with chocolate, cookies that Levain Bakery makes. Of course, the baking time, will need to be adjusted. But the choice is yours, based on your preference.)
Bake until cookies are lightly browned and rounded. Allow to cool about 15 minutes before serving.
These are serious cookies - big, dense and packed with chocolate inside.
Pecan or walnut pieces for nut lovers are a must and add a delightful crunchy contrast to the bite.
This is a Hero of a Chocolate Chip Cookie! One cookie is a serving but don’t let that stop you if you are up for the challenge!
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
**This recipe works best with chocolate chips, rather than chopped or shaved chocolate, as the structure of the dough is changed with other types of prepared chocolate. For the best and most interesting flavor, try blending several supermarket brands with different cocoa percentages, as suggested above.
**To freeze before baking, wrap each dough ball separately, then place in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw frozen dough at room temperature for about 1 hour, unwrap, then bake as directed.
**These cookies taste best when freshly baked, but leftovers may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days; rewarm briefly in a 350°F oven before serving.
