Chocolate Chip Cookies - Levain Bakery Copycat #15 from Lunchpails and Lipstick

Chocolate Chip Cookies Levain Bakery copycat #15 - made dough April 15, 2017 from Lunchpails and Lipstick

There are different types of chocolate chip cookies, even among the ones that have all the hallmarks of what I like in a great chocolate chip cookie: chubby, thick, made with butter, made with milk chocolate chips, crisp edges, chewy middles. 

 I break them out into roughly two camps. There’s the cookie-cookie camp that’s the more typical cookie: it’s chewy and buttery with a brown-sugar-caramel flavor. Then there’s the dense-cakey cookie that, although made with the same butter and brown sugar, leans more towards a dense-cake texture. They typically have more flour and aren’t as buttery-brown sugar-caramel flavored but aren’t dry and they’re not even cakey if you think cakey means light and airy. 

This copycat version is that dense-cakey one. It’s almost doughy but like baked dough. I’m not doing a very good job of explaining what I mean but if you stare at the pictures long enough, maybe you’ll see what I mean in terms of the difference in texture in this cookie versus some of the more cookie-cookie textures.

I liked this version. It didn’t spread much, it stayed thick and I liked the texture. Definitely don’t bake it too long but you don’t want to underbake it too much either or it'll be too mushy.

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup granulated sugar (or 1/4 cup granulated sugar + 1/4 cup turbinado sugar)
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips or chunks

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars. Mix until well combined and creamy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until incorporated.
4. With the mixer on low, gradually add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
5. Fold in chocolate chips or chunks. Portion into 4 to 6-ounce dough mounds, cover and chill or freeze for several hours or overnight.
6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and evenly space dough mounds. Bake 15-18 minutes, until cookies are light golden brown at the edges and the middles are barely cooked.