New York City's Levain-style chocolate chip cookies
https://fannyzanotti.com/new-york-citys-levain-style-chocolate-chip-cookies/Adapted from Hijabs and Aprons. Big, craggy, gooey-in-the-middle cookies inspired by the ones from New York's Levain bakery. Perfect with a glass of cold milk or an afternoon coffee.I find that these are even better on the day after I bake them. I usually make a couple of big ones - weighing 160-170g - then roll the rest in smaller balls - approximately 60-70g each - and freeze for later use.
Makes 8 large cookies
Ingredients
- 115 g salted butter at room temperature
- 200 g light muscovado sugar
- 50 g golden caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- 2 eggs
- 300 g plain flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 250 g walnuts roughly chopped
- 300 g dark chocolate chips I used Callebaut's 56.9%
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C / fan 170°C. Line one or two baking sheets with baking paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugars, and salt until creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chips.
- Divide the dough into 8 rough balls, about 160-170g each. Shape them loosely into balls.
- Place on the lined baking sheet, spacing them apart.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, until the tops are golden brown with lighter patches. Let the cookies set on the hot tray for at least 10 minutes before moving them - this allows the centers to firm up.
- Allow to cool down completely, and store into an airtight container.
Notes
On baking smaller cookies
For smaller cookies, divide dough into 60-70g portions and bake for 10-12 minutes. On freezing cookie dough balls
To freeze dough balls, place them on a tray lined with baking paper and freeze until solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer bag. To remove excess air without a vacuum sealer, insert a straw into the bag's opening, seal the bag around the straw, and suck out the air. Quickly seal the bag upon removing the straw. When ready to bake, place the frozen dough balls directly on a baking sheet and bake, adding a couple of extra minutes to the usual baking time. On vanilla sugar
Vanilla sugar is a staple in many French and Swedish homes. However, a teaspoonful of vanilla extract will do the trick if you don't have any on hand. If you wish, you can even make your own vanilla sugar. I always collect used vanilla pods, wash them if needed, and leave them to dry in a pot in my skafferi [pantry] until crisp. Then, I mix 3-4 dried pods with 200-300g of caster sugar, grind them to a powder, and store it in an airtight container.
For smaller cookies, divide dough into 60-70g portions and bake for 10-12 minutes. On freezing cookie dough balls
To freeze dough balls, place them on a tray lined with baking paper and freeze until solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer bag. To remove excess air without a vacuum sealer, insert a straw into the bag's opening, seal the bag around the straw, and suck out the air. Quickly seal the bag upon removing the straw. When ready to bake, place the frozen dough balls directly on a baking sheet and bake, adding a couple of extra minutes to the usual baking time. On vanilla sugar
Vanilla sugar is a staple in many French and Swedish homes. However, a teaspoonful of vanilla extract will do the trick if you don't have any on hand. If you wish, you can even make your own vanilla sugar. I always collect used vanilla pods, wash them if needed, and leave them to dry in a pot in my skafferi [pantry] until crisp. Then, I mix 3-4 dried pods with 200-300g of caster sugar, grind them to a powder, and store it in an airtight container.