Copycat Levain Fall Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe

Levain Bakery recently released a limited-edition Fall Chocolate Chunk cookie made with Valrhona chocolate and essential autumn flavors like ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and molasses. It’s everything I love about their popular giant chocolate chip cookie crossed with a spiced molasses cookie. The rich molasses, warm spices, and dark chocolate warm you up like your favorite fall sweater.

If you can’t make it to their location to try one, Levain offers overnight shipping. But the cookies are only available through the end of fall. Because their days are numbered, I recreated them to indulge even after the season ends.

Essential Tips for Making Levain Cookies at Home

Recreating these cookies at home successfully involves splurging on the best chocolate and freshest spices you can get your hands on, as well as patiently waiting for the dough to chill.

• The original fall cookies use large Valrhona chocolate callets, a form of chocolate specifically made for baking or melting. Don’t worry if they’re hard to find or too pricey, just use the best dark chocolate chunks you can.
• While it's usually a good decision for chocolate chip cookies, chopping chocolate yourself isn’t ideal in this case. The small shards of chocolate melt into the dough and change the texture to flatter cookies.
• Chilling the dough overnight or at least six hours is essential. This gives the dough time to hydrate the flour and allows for the flavors to meld. Cold cookie dough also spreads less in the oven, making thicker, taller cookies.

Tips for Planning Ahead and Storage

Portioned, unbaked cookies can be kept in the refrigerator wrapped airtight for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze the unbaked cookies uncovered for 2 hours. Then store them in a tightly sealed container or zip top freezer bag for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed.

Welcome To Cookie Central

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• Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
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• Brookies (Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies)

Combine the dry ingredients:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

Beat the butter, sugars, and molasses:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and molasses on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

Add the eggs:

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until fully combined after each addition. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Add the dry ingredients: 

Beat in two-thirds of the flour mixture on low speed, or gently fold it in with a rubber spatula, just until combined and no streaks of flour remain.

Stir in the chocolate chunks:

Coat the chocolate chunks in the remaining flour and add the mixture to the dough. Combine with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed. Do this by hand rather than using a mixer. The mixer may struggle with the large chunks of chocolate. The dough will be thick.

Divide the dough:

Divide the dough into 8 equal-sized mounds. If you have a kitchen scale, each mound of dough should weigh roughly 5 ounces (140g). Don’t worry about shaping them into balls, leaving them rough creates crisp cracks and crags on the outside of the cookies.

Chill overnight:

Transfer the mounds of cookie dough to a parchment-lined plate and wrap airtight with plastic wrap. Chill the dough in the refrigerator overnight or at least 6 hours. It will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Arrange racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Bake:

Place 4 cookies on each baking sheet, leaving ample space between them. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. The cookies should look golden brown all around, with some cracks and ridges.

Cool:

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

The cookies are best the day they are made. Store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days. After 2 days they lose their texture.

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