Copycat Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

I believe you can never try too many chocolate chip cookie recipes (as evidenced here). I most recently tried this recipe, a copycat recipe of the famous Levain Bakery chocolate chip cookies. This recipe makes some big cookies, but my book club still didn't have a problem polishing off most of the batch. These tend to be a little bit cakey as far as chocolate chip cookies go, which is not normally how I like my cookies, but these had just the right balance of cakey and chewy.

Copycat Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
3 cups + 2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
3/4 cup + 4 tsp light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, cold
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips

Line a large baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it comes together in one lump, about 1 minute. Add in the sugars and beat for another 1-2 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves into the butter. Lower the speed to medium-low, and mix in the eggs and vanilla and beat until mixed (the batter will be lumpy). Gradually add in the flour mixture, beating until a little flour remains. Fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.

Divide the dough into 12 even pieces. Shape the dough roughly into a ball, but do not roll it. Place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but up to 12 hours before baking.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake cookies for 18-22 minutes, until light golden brown. When in doubt, take your cookies out early. The cookies will continue to cook as they cool. Cool on a wire rack, then serve.

source: recipe from broma bakery, originally from cookie madness

Salty Chocolate Chunk Cookies

One of the things we've wanted to change about our weekends is trying to make our Sundays more of a day of rest. Instead of coming home from church and making a grocery list or running errands or doing chores around the house, we want to truly have a day of rest before starting our week.  For me this means spending time doing the things I enjoy, especially reading and baking.  This past Sunday I tried the chocolate chip cookie recipe in this month's Bon Appétit.  A Sunday of warm chocolate chip cookies and the season premiere of Downton Abbey - now that is a restful way to start a week:)

Salty Chocolate Chunk Cookies
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used chocolate chips)
Maldon or other flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and heat oven to 375 degrees.  Whisk flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, brown sugar, sugar, and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.  Add egg yolks, egg, and vanilla.  Beat, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl, until mixture is pale and fluffy, 4-5 minutes.  Reduce mixer speed to low; slowly add dry ingredients, mixing just to blend.  Using a spatula, fold in chocolate.

Spoon rounded tablespoonfuls of cookie dough onto 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing 1" apart (foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray also works in a pinch). Sprinkle cookies with sea salt.

Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until just golden brown around the edges, 10-12 minutes (the cookies will firm up as they cool).  Let cool slightly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks; let cool completely.  Store airtight at room temperature.  Makes 24.

*Note:  The dough lasts two days in the fridge, well-wrapped with saran wrap.

source: recipe from Bon Appétit, January 2013

Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been wanting to make the famous Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookies for a while now, and they did not disappoint!  These are cookies for serious chocolate chip cookie lovers.  They are loaded with chocolate, they are super moist and chewy, and they are probably the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had.  They aren't hard to make, you just need patience as the dough sits in the refrigerator for a couple of days so all of the flavors can meld.  As long as you use the dough within 72 hours, you can make several batches of cookies, which I really liked because, as everyone knows, cookies fresh out of the oven are the best.

Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups minus 2 Tbsp cake flour

1 2/3 cups bread flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

1 cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate, at least 60% cacao content

sea salt, for sprinkling

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.  Set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until very light, about 5 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Stir in the vanilla.  Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5-10 seconds.  Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them.  Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24-36 hours.  Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.

Scoop mounds of dough (slightly smaller than golf balls) onto baking sheet.  Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 15-18 minutes.  Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another wire rack to cool a bit more.  Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated with plastic wrap against dough, for baking remaining batches the next day.

source:  The New York Times

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

What I love about chocolate chip cookies is that they're perfect in any situation.

Eat them fresh out of the oven on a Sunday night with your husband.  It doesn't matter if it spoils your dinner. Chocolate chip cookies for dinner is totally acceptable.

Eat them while you watch the finale of The Bachelor.  It's okay that Ben picked Courtney...because you have chocolate chip cookies in your hand.

Take them to work and give them to your co-workers.  You don't need three dozen cookies for yourself!  Cookies taste better when you share them.

But on Thursday night when there's only one cookie left, it's okay to be just a little selfish and finish it off yourself.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp molasses
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Brown 1 stick plus 1 Tbsp butter:  place butter in a medium-sized saucepan or skillet over medium heat.  Allow butter to melt.  Once completely melted, the butter may foam and froth as it cooks.  Swirl the pan as it is cooking.  Once the crackling subsides, keep an eye on the butter; it will begin to brown quickly.  The butter will smell rich and nutty as it browns.  Once the butter solids reach a rich chestnut color, remove the pan from the heat and immediately transfer the butter to a small container and allow to cool slightly.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the remaining 1 stick of butter and the sugar. Cream on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.  Add the vanilla extract and molasses, and beat until incorporated.  Once the brown butter has cooled slightly, pour into the creamed butter mixture, along with the brown sugar.  Cream for about 2 minutes until well incorporated.  Add the egg and egg yolk, and beat for 1 more minute.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.  Add the flour mixture, all at once, to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until the flour is just incorporated.  Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place racks in the upper third and middle of the oven.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Using a cookie dough scoop or a spoon, roll the dough into balls and space about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.  Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes until lightly browned on the outside, but still soft and tender in the center, rotating sheets halfway through baking.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a cooling rack.  Makes 2-3 dozen cookies.

source:  recipe adapted from Joy the Baker Cookbook

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last week I was craving chocolate chip cookies like mad.  I wanted a classic chocolate chip cookie, but I didn't feel like making the old Tollhouse recipe.  So I tried this one.  And I love how soft and chewy they were!  We all know there's nothing like fresh cookies out of the oven, so make these when someone you love is around so you can both grab one while the chocolate chips are still melty.  That's when they're the best.  And don't forget the milk!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups + 2 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

12 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg plus 1 egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside.  With electric mixer or by hand, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined.  Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined.  Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed just until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets.  Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges are just starting to harden but the centers are still soft and puffy (about 11-14 minutes).  Do not overbake!

Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking.  Transfer to wire rack to cool.  Makes about 30 medium-sized cookies.

source:  recipe from annie's eats, originally from Baking Illustrated

Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have you ever had a pizookie?  This "pizza-cookie" is cookie dough baked in a personal-sized dish, much like a little pizza.  I was introduced to the concept just last week and am now sad for the years of my life that were without pizookies. Personally, I prefer making these deep-dish cookies rather than dropping dozens of cookies on baking sheets and checking on them every 30 seconds between the 10-12 minute mark to make sure they're not over-cooked.  Your cookie-baking life will be much simpler with the pizookie.

my delicious deep-dish cookie

Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp sea salt
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
.75 lb chocolate, chopped (I used semi-sweet chips)

Beat together butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, vanilla, and sea salt.  Sift together the flour and baking soda.  Stir into batter. Add chocolate chunks and stir until well mixed.

Fill 4" ramekins (or other small baking dish) with raw cookie dough, about 1/2" thick.  Place ramekins on baking sheet and put in the middle rack of the oven.  Bake at 375 degrees for 12-18 minutes (you want them slightly undercooked but not doughy).

Remove from oven and place each ramekin on a napkin (so that you can hold the hot dish).  Top with ice cream.

With the remaining cookie dough you can make chocolate chip cookies, baking the cookies for 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees.  Or you can roll the cookie dough into logs and store them in the freezer to pull out next time you want a pizookie.

source:  recipe from white on rice couple