I had Levain Bakery once when I was living in New York. It was genuinely one of those food moments you don’t forget. There’s truly not many that can compare to what I call the “cookie bombs” of Levain.
So when a friend of mine had just given birth and I wanted to bring her something really worth eating, I decided to finally try recreating them at home. I found this recipe from Modern Honey, made one swap — 100% bread flour instead of the cake flour and all-purpose combo — and I have not looked back since.
I have never, ever received so many compliments on something I baked. Recipe requests. Follow-up texts. My mother even requested the recipe and gets asked to make them by her friends (and husband) regularly.
So here’s a recipe to keep in your back pocket – it’s one of *those* special recipes you can fall back on for every occasion.
Ingredients
Makes about 16 cookies
- 1 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- 2 cups walnuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 410°F.
- In a stand mixer, cream together the cold cubed butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for about 4 minutes until creamy. Don’t rush this step — the cold butter needs time to come together.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
- Add bread flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined — don’t overwork it. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Scoop dough into balls — these are smaller than the original, so aim for about golf ball-sized. You’ll fit 6–8 per sheet. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 9–11 minutes until golden on top. They will look slightly underdone — that’s exactly right.
- Let them rest for at least 10–15 minutes before touching them. They need that time to set up, and the patience is worth it.
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