Chewy and Crispy Levain-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chewy and Crispy Levain-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
Indulge in these Levain-style chocolate chip cookies, boasting a rich buttery flavor and a satisfyingly dense texture. They achieve a delightful contrast of crispy edges and a gooey, chewy center, generously studded with chocolate and walnuts for an explosion of flavor in every bite. Perfect for special occasions or as a delightful treat for your home cafe, these cookies exude a sophisticated charm.
Cookie Dough Ingredients- All-purpose flour 200g
- Cake flour 120g
- Granulated sugar 80g
- Brown sugar 80g
- Unsalted butter 200g, cold
- Chocolate 200g (dark, milk, or your preference)
- Walnuts 180g
- Cornstarch 1 tsp
- Baking powder 1 tsp
- Baking soda 1/2 tsp
- Salt 1/4 tsp
- Vanilla extract 1/4 tsp
- Eggs 2, room temperature
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Walnut Preparation: Begin by preparing the walnuts. Blanch them in boiling water for about 3 minutes, then rinse them under cold water and pat them completely dry. Roast them in a preheated oven at 150-170°C (300-340°F) for about 10 minutes to dry them out further, which enhances their nutty flavor. Once completely cooled, roughly chop them. It’s important to keep them chilled.
Step 2
Chocolate Chopping: Chop the chocolate into coarse pieces. You want some texture in the cookies, so avoid chopping it too finely.
Step 3
Sift Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, combine the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Sift these ingredients together to ensure they are well combined and aerated, which helps create a tender cookie.
Step 4
Cut the Butter: Dice the cold unsalted butter into roughly 1.5cm (about 0.6 inch) cubes. Using cold butter is crucial for minimizing gluten development, which contributes to the chewy texture of the cookies.
Step 5
Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, combine the cold butter cubes with both the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Using an electric mixer or a whisk, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, resembling a pale ivory color with increased volume. This process incorporates air and dissolves some of the sugar.
Step 6
Add Eggs and Vanilla: Gradually add the room-temperature eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. This prevents the mixture from separating. Add the vanilla extract along with the last egg addition and mix until just combined.
Step 7
Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold them in until about 80-90% of the flour is incorporated. Be careful not to overmix; stop when you no longer see large streaks of dry flour. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies.
Step 8
Add Chocolate and Walnuts: Gently fold in the chopped chocolate and prepared walnuts. Mix just until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. Again, avoid overmixing.
Step 9
Portion the Dough: Scoop portions of the cookie dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoons can help create uniformly sized cookies. Leave ample space between cookies, as they will spread during baking.
Step 10
Baking Instructions: Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for about 1-2 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 175°C (350°F) and continue baking for approximately 14 minutes. (Note: Baking times and temperatures may vary depending on your oven. These instructions are based on a Unox oven; adjust for your home oven.) The cookies are done when the edges are golden brown.
Step 11
Cooling Process: Once removed from the oven, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes. This allows them to set and develop their signature chewy texture. After this initial cooling, carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. This ensures they become crisp on the outside and wonderfully chewy on the inside.