Levain Bakery Copycat Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm convinced that if you searched the world over, you wouldn't find a single human being that loves chocolate chip cookies more than I do.  That being said, I've tasted, and baked, a LOT of chocolate chip cookies in my lifetime.  I have a handful of tried and true chocolate chip cookie recipes that I go to regularly, but I just discovered this one a few months ago, and I think it's safe to say that it's my new favorite.  My husband agrees!

Levain bakery is located in New York City, and they are known for their ENORMOUS chocolate chip cookies.  Si Foster, a food blogger who writes A Bountiful Kitchen, concocted this Levain Bakery copycat chocolate chip cookie, and it's genius!  They are wonderful, and they are huge.  Each batch of cookies literally only makes eight cookies!  I'll be honest.  I've never had the real thing, but I don't think I need to after making these!  Recipe is down below!  Check out Si's blog for the story behind how she developed this recipe!  

via a bountiful kitchen 

• 1 cup butter cut into tablespoons, I prefer unsalted
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1½-1¾ cup all purpose flour* see notes
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 2 cups walnut halves
• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips* see notes

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees and set rack in middle of oven.
2. Place butter into bowl and turn mixer on low. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.
3. Add sugars and beat butter until smooth on medium speed. This should take about 1 minute. Mix until the butter pieces are completely blended with the sugar and is no longer visible in pieces.
4. Add the eggs and beat on medium just until incorporated with butter and sugars, about 30 seconds
5. Turn the mixer off. Add the cake flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pulse the dry ingredients on low until the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together.
6. Pour the walnuts into the batter all at once. Pulse the batter 5-6 times.
7. Pour the chocolate chips into the batter and pulse again 5-6 times.
8. Pour the batter out onto a clean surface. Fold the dough together a few times until all of the chocolate chips and walnuts are mixed into the batter.
9. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces about 6 oz each. Use your hands to shape cookies. Do not use a cookie or ice cream scoop. The cookies are meant to be roughly shaped. Do not flatten the dough.10
10. Bake 4 cookies per pan, for 11 minutes on regular bake or 400 convection bake for 8-9 minutes.
11. The cookies are done when the top is a bit golden and the bottom is also golden
12. Do not over bake. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
13. To make the cookies without walnuts, see recipe notes

NOTES:

-It is important to let the oven fully heat up. Turn it on for at least 15-20 minutes before baking.
-I use 1 cup Cake Flour and 1¾ cup AP flour. You may try using 1½ cups AP flour. I found the dough to be too sticky. If you have issues with the cookies flattening out, use 1¾ cups flour.
-If you do not have cake flour, try using All Purpose flour. 2½ cups should work. When purchasing Cake Flour, look for it on the upper shelves of the grocery aisles. Cake Flour is usually found near the regular (All Purpose) flour, cake mixes or with other baking items.
- If you can't find cake flour at your grocery, you can make your own at home by using this simple method: Measure out 1 cup of all purpose flour into a medium size mixing bowl. Remove 2 tablespoons of the flour and place back in the flour container. Add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the flour in mixing bowl. Sift the flour and cornstarch mixture. Sift again about 3-4 more times. You now have cake flour! Place in a bag or container and use as needed.
-Cake flour is usually found on the top shelf at the grocery store, near the All Purpose Flour or near other baking goods.
-I buy chocolate chips in bulk and scoop my semi sweet chips out of a jar. This recipe calls for 2 cups of chocolate chips. Most bags of chocolate chips are 11-12 oz or closer to 1½ cups of chips, which will work for one recipe, no need to open another bag of chocolate chips.
I use food handlers gloves to shape the dough, and also weigh the dough balls on a scale. Each dough ball is approx 6 oz.
-These cookies freeze extremely well. After cooling completely, place cookies in a large ziplock bag or small sandwich size bags. Place in freezer. When ready to eat, either let thaw, or wrap in paper towel and microwave for about 15-18 seconds. The cookie will not have a crisp exterior after being frozen, but will still be moist and taste fresh.
-In the recipe it says to turn the batter out onto a clean surface and mix the chocolate chips and the walnuts together by hand. I do not do this step. I add this to the recipe because it is shown in the video. I simply fold the dough a couple of times with a spatula in the bowl to make sure all of the walnuts and chocolate chips are distributed.
Update 5/3/2017**
-Dislike walnuts? You may add additional chocolate chips or try increasing the All Purpose flour by ¼ cup.
Add 4 cups chocolate chips in place of the original 2 cups chips and 2 cups walnuts. If you omit the walnuts, you must replace with another substance that will take up mass in the cookie. Two additional cups of chocolate chips or 2-11.5 oz packages per recipe. Bake as directed. Refrigerating dough for 30-45 minutes after shaping and before baking is recommended, especially if baking in a regular bake and not a convection bake oven.