Levain Bakery in NYC makes one of my all-time favorite chocolate chip cookies. Today they are opening a location in Brooklyn, NY which happens to be my birthplace. Since It’s officially my birthday week, it seems bashert (Yiddish for meant to be) that I was already planning to share my version of their very famous chocolate chip cookie with you today – happy coincidence!

Why is it so famous? For one thing each cookie weighs a whopping 6 ounces, that’s a big cookie! It’s chock full of chocolate chips and walnuts more than any other CC cookie I’ve ever had. The center is soft and gooey like cookie dough, and the outside is just a bit crispy where the little knobs of nuts and chips are trying to escape.

I don’t usually like nuts in cookies, but these are a whole different ballgame. They add a nice texture and sweetness to the cookie if you lightly toast them in the oven (see recipe notes below). It transforms them from a light and almost waxy texture with a hint of bitterness to a sweeter, and crunchier tasting walnut. As for the chocolate chips, 3 1/2 cups of chocolate chips sounds like too many chips – said no one ever! That’s what makes them so ooey gooey good!

A couple things to know about this recipe before you start out. When you take them out of the oven they will seem just a little underdone in the middle. That’s okay, it’s what you want so you’ll get that cookie dough middle, they’ll set up a little when they cool. As long as they are nice and golden, you’re golden too! Some recipes call for cold butter, but I don’t think that’s what they use. I take the butter out 1 to 2 hours before I’m going to bake them just so they come to room temperature. After the directions I have included a few tips for success about storage, toasting walnuts, and about cake flour.

I’m really excited they are opening another location and wish them mazel (luck)! What I’m even more excited about is to being able share and celebrate this recipe with all of you – especially my Midwestern friends! Enjoy!

ingredients
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour* (I prefer King Arthur)
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter softened*
¾ cup light brown sugar packed lightly
½ cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract    
2½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks (chopped chocolate or another cup of chips)
2 cups lightly toasted walnuts**

directions
Preheat oven to 410 degrees and set rack in the top 1/3rd of the oven. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl add both flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Use a whisk to mix and set aside.

Use either a stand mixer or hand mixer for this next step. If you don’t have either, you can whisk it by hand but will need to do it for at least 2 minutes. Into another bowl add the softened butter and sugars and mix until light and fluffy for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well to combine.

Add the flour mixture in 3 additions on a low speed and mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts by hand making sure they are well distributed. Some recipes suggest turning the dough out onto a board and mixing by hand like Levain Bakery. This is a much smaller batch of cookies then they make and a spatula does the job.

DO NOT use a cookie scoop to portion the dough or shape them into a smooth ball. Using your hands or two tablespoons drop round mounds onto a scale to weigh out 5 or 6 ounces of dough. Then drop them onto the prepared cookie sheet. If making 6 ounce cookies, bake 4 on a pan and yield 9 cookies. If making 5 ounce cookies, bake 5 or 6 on a pan to yield 11 cookies.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown on top making sure to turn the pan ½ way through the baking. Don’t overbake, they will set up a little bit more as they cool. Let them rest on the cookie sheet about 15 minutes before serving.

To store the cookies, wrap each one individually with plastic wrap and then store in a sealed container. if you pop them in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds the chips will melt slightly and come back to an almost baked taste.

recipe notes:
*Cake flour can be found by the regular flour. It’s usually on an upper shelf and sold in a box. I prefer King Arthur brand because it is unbleached, but can not find it in the stores right now. Swans Down is fine too in a pinch. If you can’t find cake flour, you can make your own very simply. For every cup of all-purpose flour, take out 2 tablespoons and replace with cornstarch. So for this recipe you would measure 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, take out 6 tablespoons of flour and replace with cornstarch.

**To toast walnuts preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place walnuts onto a rimmed cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes or until they become fragrant and lightly toasted. Take them out of the oven and leave on the pan to cool. Roughly chop them before adding – you want big chunks of walnuts. I just break them in half.

If you don’t want to add walnuts you have to sub something in its place or you won’t have the girth of the cookie. You can add an additional 1 ½ cups chocolate chips for texture. In that case, I would choose 2 different types of chips, maybe 2 cups semisweet, and 2 cups chocolate chunks or Ghirardelli 60% chips. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before baking.

Levain Bakery doesn’t add vanilla extract to their cookie. I added it to mine because I always add it to my CC.

My recipe is adapted from A bountiful Kitchen and Modern Honey Both really nice blogs. Thanks ladies for the head start!