we survived the first week of virtual homeschooling. bless it. we deserve all the cookies. not just any cookies. these giant tahini chocolate chip levain bakery inspired cookies.
if you're homeschooling this year too, I feel you and I see you. make yourself a batch of these cookies. warm, gooey, fresh from the oven cookies are magic.
true to the original version made famous by Levain Bakery, these massive cookies are:
- perfectly toasted, golden brown on the outside
- perfectly chewy, slightly under baked on the inside
- nutty
- filled with chocolate chips and halva pieces
- massive! each cookie weighs nearly half a pound
- the perfect treat for the end of a long week
Make sure to check out my recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies without Brown Sugar for that classic chocolate chip cookie taste.
key features of these cookies
- cake flour: cake flour makes a more tender cookie. with a lower protein content (around 7-9%), less gluten is formed. thus, giving the cookie a softer, fluffier texture.
- cornstarch: this allows the cookie to remain chewy and tender. it helps with thickening the cookie without drying it out.
- brown butter: my go to for the best tasting cc cookie. adds a great nutty element.
- tahini: my fun twist on this modern classic. this adds another, more in depth nutty flavor.
- brown and granulated sugar: the classic duo of the cc cookie. a must for the classic flavor we all know and love.
- halva: the halva caramelizes while baking, adding yet another layer of flavor. this is my personal favorite. halva can also be found a trader joes or amazon. sub this with walnuts (original). pb or butterscotch chips would also be delicious!
how to make + bake these tahini chocolate chip levain bakery inspired cookies
- cold ingredients: this is how LB does it. cube the butter into small pieces to help with creaming process.
- chill: technically this step could be skipped. but, the creators of this cookie chill their dough, so I am, too! overall, this helps rest the glutens. this helps prevent spread and gives the cookie a chewier texture.
- food scale: these cookies weigh 6oz. each. grab that scale to get it exact. otherwise, generously fill ½c measuring cup. this makes 8 cookies.
- shape: use your hand or a spoon. think rustic. (see recipe pics)
- fold the chocolate chips and halva at the same time
- baking temperature: baking them in a super hot oven for a short amount of time sets the exterior. meanwhile, the interior stays soft and gooey. the perfect cookie in my opinion.
- "baking" out of the oven: allow the cookies to finish "baking" on the hot baking sheet for 15 minutes.
- more cooling: if you can wait, let them set for a full hour
check out these fall inspired cookies
tahini chocolate chip levain bakery inspired cookies
Equipment
- cookie sheet
- stand or electric mixer
- parchement paper or silpat
- food scale or ½ c measuring cup
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ c (150g) cake flour
- 1 ¾ c (210) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ c (175g) browned butter, cold sub with ¾ c regular cold unsalted butter
- ¼ c (56g) tahini, cold and well stirred
- ¾ c (150g) light brown sugar
- ½ c (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 c (130g) halva sub with more chocolate chips or pb chips
- 2 c semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- To make the brown butter, melt 2 sticks (1 c) unsalted butter in a medium sauce pan over low-medium heat. Once the butter starts to foam, stir frequently with a whisk. The foam will increase, then subside while brown bits form at the bottom of the pan. The butter will smell nutty. Once this happens, remove the butter from the heat. Pour into a heat proof container with a lid. Cool to room temperature and then chill in the fridge until firm. This whole process takes about 2-3 hours. Make a day (or up to 2 weeks ahead) or opt for regular unsalted butter if you don't want to spend all day making cookies!
- Preheat the oven to 410F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Sift together the flours, cornstartch, baking soda and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
- On low speed, increasing to medium speed, cream together the cold brown butter, tahini, brown and granulated sugars together until creamy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating about 20 seconds before adding the next.
- By hand or on the lowest setting of your mixer ( i prefer by hand), sitr in the dry ingredients ⅓ at a time. Leaving some flour streaks before adding the next ⅓. When the last ⅓ dry has been added to the wet, fold the halva and chocolate chips. Fold unitl the dough is combined with no visible streaks of flour. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Grab a food scale or a measuring cup. These cookies need to be measured out to 6oz. each. This is what makes the cookie so BIG! Measure out (4) 6oz. cookies to start. The rest of the dough can go back in the fridge while the other cookies bake. Place each 6oz. cookie at least 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Place into a fully preheated 410 F oven. Bake for 9-12 minutes. The edges should be set, the top of the cookie should be golden, but not burned. The middle will be slighly underbaked. The cookie will continue to "bake" on the baking sheet once removed from the oven.
- Remove cookies and leave on the hot baking sheet set on top of a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Once the cookies are ready, remove from the baking sheet and cool completely on a cooling rack. While the cookies are cooling on the baking sheet (right from the oven), pull out the cookies chilling in the fridge. Meaning, pull the second batch from the fridge about 10 minutes before you plan to bake them.
- Enjoy with someone becuase these cookies are meant to be shared!
Make sure to leave a star review below
Make sure to tag me on instagram @olivesnthyme. For more delicious dessert ideas follow me on pinterest
make sure to tag me on instagram @olivesnthyme. for more delicious dessert ideas follow me on pinterest.
Giorgiana says
These look amazing and I can’t wait to try them. I like to sub in a little whole wheat flour or other whole grain flour to chocolate chip cookies sometimes for nuttiness/interest. Do you think that could work for these? Not the entire amount, say 1/2 cup?
Megan says
I haven't tested this recipe with any other flour or flour blend. However, I have used up to 1/3 cup almond flour for the same purpose without any issues. If you try that, please let me know!
Tony says
If we didn't use tahini and halva, would we have to replace it for anything or can we make it without it?
Megan says
Hi Tony, you can replace the tahini with natural peanut butter or an equal amount of melted butter. You can replace the halva with more chocolate chips, chopped nuts or omit all together. Enjoy!