THE Levain Chocolate Chip Cookie Copycat Recipe

I've already posted a Levain copy cat recipe, years ago, before I'd even been to Levain (a NYC bakery that is famous for their GIANT and delicious cookies). And those cookies were good...great even. But Levain? They were not. Now I've been to Levain more than a few times (and miss it desperately). And I'm older. And wiser. And married (as if that has any impact on this but stay with me). And I can tell you that THESE COOKIES....are practically a perfect match to the originals (the recipe itself could be very different in all actuality but the end result-these cookies....they taste just like Levain in my opinion!)

A few notes: You pretty much NEED a stand mixer with a paddle attachment...I don't think you can properly cream the cold butter otherwise (trust me...in my pre-KA stand mixer days I tried and failed). You're also going to want decent quality chocolate chips (I'm a fan of Ghirardelli, personally). I let the cookie dough balls rest overnight--which might not be necessary but I'm guessing that for the best results it probably is. Also, walnuts: you could leave them out or not toast them if you so desire but again...might not be exactly the same. Still good, just not the same. Finally: a kitchen scale helps to ensure that you measure out 5.5-6 oz. dough balls but if you evenly divide the dough into 10 you should have about the correct amount. And yes, I know that 6 oz. is pretty giant for a cookie but that's what makes them Levain cookies! And entirely irresistible.

When you bake the cookies they will turn golden brown on the outside and still be somewhat underbaked on the inside-this is also how it should be! It's one of the things that makes the cookies great--but absolutely adjust the baking time to try to find the perfect amount of cooked in the middle for your liking. I felt like 16-17 minutes was usually the perfect amount.

*sigh of happiness* it's good to bake delightfully decadent desserts (especially cookies) again!

The cookies are big and sturdy on the outside and gooey and flavorful on the inside! They're full of delicious and gooey chocolate with little bites of toasted walnuts for texture and I definitely would say they are worthy of having a line out the door ;)

I'm so excited about this recipe...these cookies were everything I wanted them to be!

Big, Thick, and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (Formerly Levain Copycat)

Let me tell you about a magical place, a mystical, wondrous place, right here in New York City, but that I have never been to: Levain Bakery. They are known for their HUGE and outrageously amazing cookies (particularly their Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie). I have not yet had the pleasure of eating one, but I've heard plenty-and have seen quite a few copy cat recipes. So, to bide my time until I can have the real thing, I decided to try one.