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thick chocolate chip cookies cut in half with chocolate dripping down
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5 from 5 votes

NEW YORK STYLE LEVAIN BAKERY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

These chunky chocolate chip cookies are the best existing cookies on the planet. Chewy from inside and crispy from outside. If you have ever tasted Levain bakery cookies, you will not believe, that you can make the same stylo of cookies at home.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time17 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bakery cookies, chocolate, cookies, levain cookies
Servings: 12 chunky cookies
Calories: 442kcal
Author: Julia

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (400 g) chocolate chips or chocolate pieces (milk chocolate)
  • 1 cup (230 g) cold unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)
  • 3/4 cup (175g) brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup (175 g) regular sugar
  • 3 1/3 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp soda bicarbonate
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 large eggs room temperature

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda bicarbonate, baking powder and salt. In another medium bowl of standing mixer, add butter (cut in pieces) and start mixing on low speed.
  • Add sugar and combine. It will be crumbly, sandy texture, but it's ok. Add chocolate chips or chocolate chunks and combine.
  • Add the flour mixture in two separate batches. First half will get incorporated easily, the second batch of flour mixture will be crumbly. Add two large eggs (whisked in advance) in the standing mixer and combine. Once the dough comes together, stop mixing. We do not want to over mix it.
  • Divide the dough into 12 equal balls of 125 grams (4.4 oz) and freeze the cookie dough balls for 2 hours, in airtight container.
  • Preheat oven 350 F/ 180 C with the baking sheet and parchment paper on it. Pop first batch (6 cookies) onto the baking sheet and bake in the oven (middle rack) for 17-19 minutes.
  • Transfer the cookies on cooling rack and wait 5 minutes, before you will take a bite. Repeat the baking process with the remaining second batch of cookies.

Notes

Cold butter: As much is might sound impossible to use cold butter in this recipe, it's so important to use cold butter. The reason why, is that we want to create this scone type cookies with edges, and we don't want them to spread quickly on the baking sheet. We want to keep the bumpy chunky shape of cookies.
Freeze the cookies: Do not skip this step and do not try to cut the corners with only refrigerating the cookie dough. It is very important to freeze the dough, because it will hold well the chunky form of the cookies and won't end up with flat cookies. The bottom with be perfectly crisp and the inside will stay soft and chewy.
Nut free version: This recipe doesn't call for walnuts, I wanted to keep it nut free, but you can use any kind of nuts for this recipe, best would be walnuts or pecans. You may also toast the nuts before using them in the cookie dough for an extra flavor.
Crumbly dough: The dough will be very crumbly when you will be adding the flour, but while the butter will be slowly melting by mixing the mixture, the flour will get incorporated.  If you are not sure when to stop mixing, try this test- take a handful of the cookie dough in your hands and start to roll a ball in the palm of your hands. If it comes well together then it means the dough is ready and you can roll the balls to be frozen. If the dough is still very crumbly, return it in the mixer and mix for another minute until the butter softens and will get well combined with the flour. If the dough won't be coming together, add few cubes soft butter for quick fix.
Sugar This recipe calls for half of granulated sugar and half of white sugar But if you prefer your cookies chewier, use only brown sugar. The total of sugar has to be 1 1/2 cup or 350 g of brown sugar. 
Chocolate chips or chunks: I have used chocolate chips in this recipe, but you can use chocolate chunks or pieces. You can also use white chocolate, dark chocolate or peanut butter chips.