So apparently there's a place in NYC called Levain Bakery and they're known for the huge chocolate chip cookies they make. I found several copycat recipes, so took a chance with a recipe I thought looked good. And somehow, the results were disastrous! The cookies spread like pancakes and turned out wafer thin. Determined to not let one bad batch deter my efforts, I tried a different recipe. Success! (See picture below for my two very different cookie batches.) Now, considering I never have actually tried the original Levain cookies, these may not taste at all like them...but regardless, they're pretty darn good. The cookies are quite large if you follow the recipe, almost like little cakes. If you want to impress people with not-just-your-average choc. chip cookie, I recommend this one. I think if I make them again, I'd add nuts or maybe do a peanut butter version. But still, these were devoured pretty quickly after I made them!
Big, Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies (inspired by Levain Bakery cookies)
(makes 1 dozen)
2 sticks cold and cubed unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups flour (add enough flour to make sure the dough is not too sticky)
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups good quality semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
1 cup toasted chopped walnuts (pecans or macadamias work well, too)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle, cream together butter and sugars until well blended and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and beat until well incorporated.
2. Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and mix until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate and nuts.
3. Transfer dough to clean work surface and gently mix dough by hand to ensure even distribution of ingredients. Divide into 12 equal portions--mounds will be large!
4. Place each on sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven 16-23 minutes (depending on how gooey you like the centers), until very lightly browned, taking care not to overbake. Let cool on rack and store what you don’t immediately eat, in an airtight container.
I have never been a huge fan of meringue cookies. They are the type of cookie that usually pales in comparison to other cookies and they're usually hard and dry. Naturally, I was skeptical when I found this recipe, but the fact that it had "chai" in the title was intriguing, since I'm a huge fan of chai tea. So, I gave these a try and honestly, they are the best meringue cookies I've ever had! They resemble little clouds...heavenly looking AND tasting. Three days later and they're still soft and chewy--true to their title! I adapted the recipe a bit and put toffee bits in place of white chocolate since I didn't have any. I'm sure they'd be great with the white chocolate, but the toffee was a nice compliment to the spices and nuts. A great cookie for tea!
Chewy Chai Meringue Cookies
(makes about 2 dozen)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. cornstarch
4 egg whites
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. white or rice vinegar
1 cup white chocolate chips (or 1 cup toffee bits)
3/4 cup chopped nuts, lightly toasted (Macadamia or pecans)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Sift together powdered sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and cornstarch and set aside.
In a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pot of boiling water, whisk together egg whites and granulated sugar until mixture is warm and sugar has dissolved. Be careful not to overheat, as egg whites will cook and congeal.
Remove from heat, add cream of tartar and salt and beat with electric mixer until egg whites hold stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. Add vinegar and mix just until incorporated.
Gently fold in reserved powdered sugar mixture, white chocolate chips and nuts.
Drop by large tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack. Cookies will be soft in the middle and firm on the outside.
I figured it was about time I posted this one. I actually haven't made this recipe in awhile, but I have used it several times in the past and let me tell you...if you want a crowd-pleasing cookie, this is definitely it! I took a recipe I found on allrecipes.com and simplified it a little bit. Even people who hate coconut seem to love these! The best part is, it only takes a few ingredients and one batch makes a pretty decent number of cookies. Happy baking!
Coconut Chocolate Chip Macaroons
(makes about 2 to 3 dozen)
5 cups flaked coconut
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir together the coconut, flour and salt. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until everything is well blended. Mix in chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared pan.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until coconut is sufficiently toasted. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.
While these look deceivingly like cookies, they honestly are healthy enough to eat as a breakfast item. They're chewy, soft, and dense...almost like a granola bar. I made a batch of these and they were gone before the day's end. They have a nice cinnamon spice flavor and are a perfect compliment to a cup of tea. Give these a try!
Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies
(makes about 1 dozen)
1 cup white whole wheat or all purpose flour (4 ½ oz)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup vegetable oil (you can also use half applesauce/half oil)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg (I used Egg Beaters)
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 cup oats, old fashioned or quick (not instant)
2/3 cup shredded or grated carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup toasted, chopped pecans or walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, thoroughly mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; set aside
In a large bowl, mix together the oil, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar and vanilla. When well mixed, add the egg and orange zest and beat for another 20-30 seconds. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and stir until flour is absorbed. Stir in oats, carrots, raisins and nuts.
Using a ¼ cup measure, scoop up big mounds of dough. Place on ungreased parchment-lined cookie sheets and bake for 20 minutes.
Today I'm posting lots of recipes since I want to get the ball rolling for this blog. I'm a lover of dark chocolate, and ever since I've been to "Baked" bakery in Charleston, I've been trying to find a recipe that closely resembles their Chocolate Cloud cookies. This one comes pretty close. The recipe comes from a great blog called Cookiemadness.net. Get your glass of milk ready for these, and you can die happy and intoxicated by chocolate.
Death by Chocolate Cookies
(makes about 2 dozen cookies)
1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 oz chopped semi-sweet chocolate (62%)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large eggs
2 packed tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
2/3 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped and toasted (optional)
Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, melt chocolate with butter. Cool slightly (about 3 minutes). (You can melt in the microwave, but it's easier to burn the chocolate this way, so I recommend the stove method.)
Beat eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl using high speed of an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes. Beat the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir it gently into the batter. Make sure the batter is cool, then add the chocolate chips and walnuts.
Chill dough for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop up rounded tablespoons of dough and set dough balls on parchment paper spacing about 2 ½ inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheet for about 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
