Gluten Free Levain Bakery Copycat Cookies

These cookies are amazingly crispy on the outside and super chewy on the inside... perfect for people who can't agree on the perfect chocolate chip!

This recipe makes 12 large large cookies but they come out best when big. I usually half the recipe when I'm baking at home. They are best straight out of oven always.

Ingredients:

• 3.25 cups all purpose gluten free flour (or 3 cups of regular flour if you'd rather make them non GF). I use the Pamela brand and I think it's the best for baking. When I halve it I just use 1.5 cups and 2 extra tbsp.

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 2 tsp kosher salt

• 1 cup / 2 sticks unsalted butter (freeze the sticks in the freezer for an hour before baking)

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 3 eggs (cold and beaten lightly in a separate bowl)- if you are using regular flour, only use 2 eggs. The eggs help bind the GF flour so they aren't crumby. When I halve the recipe I awkwardly break a yolk in half and try to use half the egg lol it never works great but it works.

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I always use extra because I love it)

• The chocolate: 2 cups of dark chocolate chips would be simple but they are way better if you use seriously good chocolate. I used a whole Lindt dark sea salt chocolate bar and chopped it into chunks with a knife + 1 cup of ghirardelli dark chocolate chunks. It was to die for. I like using Ghiradelli and always use chunks over chips. It helps form the gooey parts.

Instructions:

Line baking sheet w/ parchment paper. You probably need 2 sheets for a batch of 12.

In med bowl, mix the first 4 ingredients (flour, baking powder and soda and salt). Set aside.

On a cutting board, literally grate the frozen sticks of butter with a cheese grater. It's so strange because it looks just like mozzarella cheese. Many bakers use this method to make fluffy biscuits and I wanted to try it on cookies and it was unbelievable. See weird photo.

Grate both sticks of butter and toss in another large bowl. Add the sugars and mix until it's all combined. Don't mash up the butter though. Mix in the already beaten eggs and the vanilla and beat until mixed. The batter will be lumpy.

Gradually add in the flour and beat. I add a cup at a time but probably better if you go slower. If it feels like it's not combining, use your hands. I usually do it all with my hands to make sure all flour comes off or the bowl.

When mixed well, fold in the chocolate.

Divide the dough into 12 equal sized pieces. Shape them into balls but don't roll it. More like a round chunk. Places on the baking sheet 2 inches apart. Then put the whole baking sheet in the fridge for 30 min. You can even do it day before but I like 30 min. If you want less fluffy cookies, you can bake right away but it especially helps the GF version if you refrigerate.

Bake on 375 degrees for 18 minutes (maybe a little more or less depending on how big you make the cookies and your oven and also how chewy you want the center to be). 18 is usually perfect for me. They should be golden and crisp on the outside. Put on wire rack to cool for a bit and then enjoy.

These are one of my better recipes. I still prefer thin cookies but these are better when you're baking for somebody else or want to do something "bigger" for a dinner party.

Please message me if you come up with any innovative or better adjustments to my recipe!! I'd also love to know how they come out if you just used the butter normally versus the grating method. I baked them again tonight (after 48 hours of refridgerating) and I think they came out better so that could be a good solution in the future. You can probably save the dough for up to 2 weeks wrapped in tin foil in the fridge.

Dogs love them too =)

#Cookies #chocolatechipcookie #Levain