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Soft Levain Bakery NYC Cookies

Soft Levain Bakery NYC Cookies offer giant, gooey comfort. Quick-ish, easy to follow, and perfect for busy bakers craving bakery-style cookies at home.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 44 minutes
Servings: 8 cookies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cookie Dough
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, very cold, cut into cubes Best to use unsalted butter for the ideal texture.
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, cold
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cake flour Can substitute with extra all-purpose flour.
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt Can replace with 3/4 tsp of table salt.
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch Helps keep the center soft.
  • 12 ounces mixed chocolate, roughly chopped Use a mix of chocolate bars and chocolate chips.
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans Optional ingredient; can omit for plain chocolate.

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). If using a convection setting, drop the temperature by 25°F.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cake flour (if using), cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, smash the cold butter chunks into the sugars until crumbly, leaving some visible butter bits.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time, folding gently, and then stir in the vanilla extract.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients and fold until just combined, being careful not to over-mix.
  6. Gently stir in the chopped chocolate and nuts until evenly distributed.
Shaping and Baking
  1. Use a large ice cream scoop or kitchen scale to portion the dough into roughly 6-7 ounce rounds and shape lightly into rough domes, placing them on the prepared sheets, spacing them apart.
  2. If time allows, chill the shaped dough in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes for better control of spread.
  3. Bake one tray at a time in the center of the oven for 11-14 minutes, until the edges are golden brown with the center still soft.
  4. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10-12 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Notes

Do not overbake; cookies should look underdone as they will continue cooking while cooling. You can freeze the dough for later baking. For a quicker version, use smaller scoop sizes and reduce baking time.