Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• •280 g (1.25 cups) unsalted butter
• •450 g (1 lb) dark chocolate 65%+, roughly chopped — chop it fairly finely so it distributes well
• •230 g (1.5 cups) cake flour
• •275 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• •5 g (1.5 tsp) salt
• •8 g (2 tsp) cornstarch
• •6 g (½ tsp) baking soda
• •285 g (1.25 cups) light brown sugar
• •115 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
• •2 large eggs + 3 large egg yolks
• •165 g (2 cups) walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped — do not grind finely, keep chunky

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and set aside to cool. Whisk together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, salt, cornstarch, and baking soda in a bowl.

2. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, combine both sugars then slowly stream in the cooled butter and whisk until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time followed by the egg yolks, mixing each in fully before adding the next.

3. Switch to the paddle attachment and mix in the flour mixture until smooth. Fold in the walnuts (keep them chunky — do not grind finely) and the chopped chocolate. Cover and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes to chill completely.

4. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Divide the dough into ~170 g (6 oz) pieces and roll each into a tall, tightly packed ball. Use an ice cream scoop if you have one — if not, use your hands. Do not flatten them.

5. Place 4 cookies per parchment-lined baking sheet. For best results, refrigerate again for 25 minutes before baking.

6. Bake 10–13 minutes until lightly browned on the outside but still slightly underdone inside — do not overbake, they taste much better when just right. Cool on a wire rack.

Photos from the process.