Sample Titles: Soft & Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies or Gluten Free Lemon Tart or Caramel Crinkle Cookies with a Twist
Ultra-Thick Chocolate Chip Cookies | Levain Bakery Inspired Cookies
Equipment
Stand mixer with a paddle attachment (Alternatively, you can use a hand mixer or by hand), Rimmed baking sheet, Instant-read thermometer (optional), Weighing scale (optional)
YIELD:
Eight, 6-ounce cookies
ACTIVE COOKING TIME:
15 minutes
TOTAL TIME:
13 hours
Section 1: Ingredients
Cookie Dough
½ cup (113g) high-quality unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (firmly packed; 113g) light brown sugar
½ cup (100g) white sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. fine sea salt (plus more for sprinkling, if desired)
1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Pinch of cinnamon
2 large eggs, straight from the fridge
2 ¼ cups (283g) all-purpose flour, I use Gold Medal's
1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch
2 ½ cups (425g) high-quality, semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 ¾ cups (240g) toasted whole walnut pieces or whole pecan pieces (if omitting nuts, you can add roughly 50g extra flour or more chocolate chips)
Section 2: Directions
Making the Cookie Dough
1. |
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add ½ cup of softened butter, ½ cup of light brown sugar, ½ cup of white sugar, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.
2. |
Mix on low speed to moisten, then increase speed to medium and beat until soft, fluffy for about 8 minutes; pausing to scrape the bowl and beater halfway through with a flexible, silicone spatula.
3. |
With the mixer running, add eggs one at a time, letting each egg incorporate before adding the next until combined.
4. |
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together 283g of all-purpose flour, one tablespoon of fine sea salt, 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoon of cornstarch, and a pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon.
5. |
Reduce to low speed, add half of the dry ingredients to the stand mixer. Mix to combine, and add the other half of the dry ingredients. This helps keep the gluten down, which might leave you with flat cookies.
6. |
When flour is incorporated, add 425g of your semi-sweet chocolate chips and 240g of toasted walnuts or pecans and mix just until it's combined.
7. |
Divide the dough into eight equal portions (about 6 ounces or 170g each) and round each into a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 12 hours before baking. The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 week if stored in an airtight container. Chilling the dough allows the fat to solidify and hydrates the flour, so the cookies retain their height and become soft and tender when baked.
Baking the Cookies
8. |
Adjusting the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Line an aluminum half-sheet pan with parchment paper. Arrange up to 4 portions of the cold cookie dough on the prepared pan, leaving ample space in between accounting for the cookie spreading while baking.
9. |
Bake until cookies are puffed and lightly brown, about 22 minutes, or reach an internal temperature between 175-185°F (79-85°C). Future rounds can be baked more or less to achieve desired consistency and temperature.
10. |
Cool the cookies directly on the baking sheet until no warmer than 100°F (38°C) before serving. Enjoy warm. Serve with warm milk (not optional).
Storage and Leftovers
Raw Cookie Dough:
If placed in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, the portioned cookie dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Alternatively, the portioned dough can be individually placed in a freezer-safe, zip-top bag for up to 6 months in the freezer. Thaw frozen dough to 40°F (79-85°C), and bake as listed above.
Baked Cookies:
Though these cookies taste best when freshly baked, if, for an unlikely reason, you have leftovers, they may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. It can be rewarmed briefly in a 350°F (180°C) oven until just warmed through.
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