Chocolate – powdered vs solid, light vs dark
I decided to use unsweetened chocolate in a powdered form because I believe this is most likely what Levain Bakery uses. If you go back and read my first post, I reference a video of the owners making cookies (without divulging their secret recipe). They repeat a few times, they like to “keep it simple”. My guess is, even thought the cookies resemble brownies I love (that are made with melted solid unsweetened chocolate), I don’t believe Levain Bakery makes this cookie with melted chocolate. I considered, but did not try (yet) melting the butter and then whisking in the unsweetened cocoa powder to the dough. This would absolutely require the dough be refrigerated before baking. I may still try this at a later date…
I tested out 4 different types of unsweetened cocoa powder. Traditional Hershey’s cocoa powder, Callebaut (Belgian) cocoa powder, an organic brand of unsweetened cocoa powder, and Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa. The chocolate that was most similar in color and flavor to the Levain Bakery cookie was Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa, which you can find at most grocery stores. It has more of a dark brown instead of a red color, which produces a cookie most like Levain bakes. I experimented with 1/2, 3/4 and 1/3 cups of cocoa powder, and felt that 1/3 was the perfect amount.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter microwave for 10 seconds or set on counter for 30 minutes
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 2 eggs cold
- 1/3 cup Hershey’s Special Dark Unsweetened Cocoa powder
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2- 10 oz bags Reese’s peanut Butter Chips
Instructions
- Place rack in center of oven with no other rack on the shelf directly above the center rack. Preheat oven to 400 convection bake or 425 regular bake.
- Cut the butter into tablespoons size pieces.
- Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Turn the mixer to medium speed and beat butter, and sugar for about 1 minute until butter is broken up and starts to blend with the sugar.
- Add eggs, one at a time until mixed well. Keep the mixer speed on medium. Turn mixer off and add cocoa, mix until cocoa is blended well.
- Turn mixer off. Add all purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to bowl all at once. Pulse the mixer until the wet and dry ingredients are combined using low speed.
- Fold in the peanut butter chips.
- Scoop the cookies with hands onto a kitchen scale, the cookies should weigh 6 oz each. There will be approximately 9-10 pieces of dough. If you are making minis, measure out to 3 – 3.5 ox size and refrigerate before baking.
- The large 6 oz cookies do not require refrigeration before baking. Bake the cookie sheets one at a time, 4-5 cookies per sheet at least 3 inches apart.
- Bake when oven is hot for 5-6 minutes on convection or regular bake. The cookies are done when a top crust is formed and the cookies no longer look wet. Do not over bake!
- Let the cookies cool for 30 minutes before eating.
source: https://abountifulkitchen.com/levain-bakery-dark-chocolate-peanut-butter-chip-cookies/