Chunky Chocolate Chip & Walnut Cookies

Since moving to New York City 2 and a half years ago, I have made mental notes of where to get the best cupcakes, the best slice of pizza and the best ice cream. There is nothing that comes even close to the best cookies: the Chocolate Chip Walnut cookie from Levain Bakery. So of course, I have made it my mission to try to recreate this amazing work of cookie art. Giant and rugged, with crispy outer edges, melting chocolate, walnuts and a gooey centre (think of a very soft cookie dough) and you have the Levain cookie. I tried out this recipe, although I have not named this post ‘Copycat Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie’ for good reason. Although these cookies are amazing, they are still not close enough to Levain’s cookies. But I wanted to share the recipe with you, as so far these are the best cookies I’ve ever made. In the meantime, I’ll keep trying to perfect a Levain cookie copycat recipe and if I’m ever successful I’ll share it here 🙂

Ingredients:

3 cups (13½ ounces) bread flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
¾ cup + 4 teaspoons (6 ounces) light or dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, cold, lightly beaten in a separate bowl
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups dark chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Method:

1. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat & set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until it comes together in one cohesive mass, about 1 minute. Add both sugars and continue to beat for another 1 to 2 minutes, until all of the sugar has been incorporated into the butter. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla and continue beating on medium speed until mixed, scraping the sides of bowl once (the batter will appear lumpy). Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the flour mixture until just a little bit of flour still remains. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts with a rubber spatula.

4. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces, just grabbing it by the handful and roughly shaping it into a ball (it should not be smooth). Place them (evenly spaced) on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 18 to 24 minutes, or until light golden brown on top. Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Toasted walnut pieces