Remember that time you bit into a cookie so rich, decadent, and oozing with gooey chocolate that tears welled up in your eyes? No, it wasn’t a magical experience brought on by a mystical ingredient. It was probably just your first encounter with a Levain Bakery cookie, the legendary New York treat that’s taken the dessert world by storm.
These behemoths aren’t your average, run-of-the-mill chocolate chip cookies. They’re colossal orbs of dough studded with chunks of melty chocolate, boasting a crackly, caramelized exterior and a soft, chewy interior that practically begs to be dunked in milk.
Ready to recreate this legendary cookie in your own kitchen and see what all the fuss is about? We’ve got the secret recipe straight from the bakery’s ovens, complete with a step-by-step guide and insightful tips.
Ingredients
- Dry:
- 200g (1.5 cups) all-purpose flour
- 100g (1 cup) cake flour
- 50g (1/2 cup) powdered cacao
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (3g)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda (2.5g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (4g)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (2g)
- Wet:
- 200g (1 cup) cold butter
- 130g (3/4 cup) brown sugar
- 70g (1/2 cup) white sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 300g chocolate (150g Hershey’s dark chocolate + 150g dark couverture chocolate, 72% cacao)
Instructions
- Get your dry ducks in a row: Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. This ensures an even distribution of leavening agents and prevents flour pockets in your finished cookie.
- Butter me up: Cream the cold butter and sugars together in a separate bowl until light and fluffy. Imagine you’re whipping up love between your whisks!
- Egg-cellent addition: One by one, incorporate the eggs into the creamy mixture, letting each one fully blend before adding the next. Remember, slow and steady wins the race – you don’t want streaks of raw egg in your dough.
- Powder play: Gently fold the sifted dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Stop mixing once you still see about 20% of the dry ingredients – a little mystery keeps things exciting!
- Chocoholic’s dream: Roughy chop the chocolate and gently fold it into the dough. Resist the urge to overmix – you want those glorious chunks of chocolate to melt and surprise you in every bite.
- Chill out, dude: Cover the dough and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. This allows the flavors to develop and the dough to firm up, ensuring those perfect, bakery-style cracks on your finished cookies.
- Shape it up: Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F). Portion the dough into 170g scoops and gently roll them into balls. Trust us, these cookies are meant to be generous!
- Golden time: Place the cookie balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are still slightly soft. Remember, they’ll continue to firm up as they cool.
- The grand finale: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. As they cool, the chewy magic truly happens. Now, grab a glass of milk, spoon some ice cream on top, and prepare for a flavor explosion like no other.
Bonus tips
- For an extra-crinkled top, chill the dough balls for another 30 minutes before baking.
- Don’t worry if your cookies seem slightly misshapen – that’s part of the Levain charm!
- These cookies store well at room temperature for a few days, but if you can resist them that long, freeze them for even longer enjoyment.
So there you have it, the recipe for the “drug cookie” that took New York by storm. Now it’s your turn to bake up a batch and see what all the hype is about. Who knows, you might just shed a tear (or two) of pure cookie bliss yourself!
