Copycat Levain Bakery Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Baked 4.23.10 for the Berkeley trip that never happened.

I couldn't find dark cocoa powder anywhere, so I gave up and just used a dark chocolate cocoa mix and decreased the amount of sugar from the recipe. I think the only problem with this was that the mix had those added ingredients like milk powder, which probably all messed up the dough. They're supposed to be hard, dense, rock-like with little spread, and very dark chocolatey, but these spread a lot (as you can see), and they weren't dark enough to me. BUT if I just eat these without expecting them to taste like Levain Bakery's cookies, then these are pretty good. Got the copycat recipe from Lisa Michele, whose cookies look close to the real things! I WILL try again someday with the right ingredients. Now that I've tried these, I really love the idea of dark chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips. So good.

Nooooo to the picture below:



Here's how many I made: 21 huge cookies.

Levain Bakery Copycat Dark Chocolate Peanut butter Chip Cookies (1 dozen cookies when done right supposedly; 21 flatter ones when done my way - oops)

• 2 sticks cold & cubed unsalted butter *NO! Don't leave them cold!! They're impossible to make fluffy right away. Stupid, stupid idea. I waited until the butter got soft because I just couldn't stand it, and there's no chemical purpose for keeping it cold because it all gets mooshed together AND no other recipe I've ever read that wasn't for scones or pie crust said to leave the butter cold. OK. Rant over.
  
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup good quality dark cocoa powder
• 2 1/4 to 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 3/4 to 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups peanut butter chips
  

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle (I did this by hand), cream together butter & sugar until well blended and fluffy
3) Add eggs & beat until well-incorporated, & then beat in cocoa powder
4) Mix in flour, salt & baking powder until just combined
5) Gently fold in remaining ingredients
6) Transfer dough to clean work surface and gently mix dough by hand to ensure even distribution of ingredients
7) Divide into 12 equal portions (I ended up making 21 mounds because I was so afraid the cookies would smoosh together, which they kinda did anyway), **~4 oz each, and place each on sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven 16-20 minutes depending on how gooey and raw-like you like the middles, taking care not to overbake.
8) Let cool on a rack & store what you don’t immediately eat in an airtight container

LISA MICHELE's NOTES:

Note – The Levain Bakery doesn’t use vanilla extract in their cookies, as they feel it’s unecessary. However, some feel you need it. You can add 1 tsp to 1 T to each recipe if desired. Just add it after each egg is incorporated.

** Note – The Levain Bakery uses 6 oz of cookie dough per cookie. As mentioned above, If you want 12 cookies out of the above recipes, a little over 4 oz per cookie (4.1 to 4.2 oz. Use a kitchen scale) will get you that. If you want to use 6 oz of cookie dough per cookie, you’ll probably get only 6-8 cookies. However, a little over 4 oz makes a cookie just as thick and huge, so you don’t even notice the difference.

*** Note – Regarding the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter cookies. I mostly use Dutch-process cocoa. If you use basic, natural unsweetened cocoa (you know, the Hershey’s in the brown can or whatever), add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp baking soda (I just use a heaping 1/4 tsp when using regular baking cocoa) to the dry ingredients. Also, if they’re too ‘chocolatey’ and rich for you, use only 1/4 cup cocoa powder, and add 1/4 cup extra flour.

S'mores Bars For the Kiddos

For my cousin's birthday I made s'mores bars (I made 'em smaller 'cause they're for kids). I gave half to the cousins and half to the neighbors. Kids make life so much fun--and they give me yet another excuse to bake. I used to bake for my college friends, but now I bake for kids. And teachers. And family & friends.

Anyway, I saw these s'mores bars on Lovin' From the Oven (go there for the recipe) and made them because all kids love s'mores, right? I actually asked my neighbor if he and his sister like s'mores, and you should have seen his face light up and his happy nod. Adorable! Anyway, the bars also look so darn good in this picture (sorry...mine aren't as good 'cause I was in a huge rush). I've also started loving the idea of s'mores things, although after these I'm a little tired of that idea. Why? They're just soo sweet. And pretty darn messy, which is okay. I like the real thing best.


The most marshmallow-y part (you can see how the marshmallow creme came out of the top layer a little...and I think that was actually the best part - had a little of that toasted marshmallow flavor that I just LOVE):

The chocolate layer (exactly two King Size Hershey's chocolate bars):

Dorie's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you haven't heard of Dorie Greenspan, she is a food writer and cookbook author with a few books like Baking: From My Home to Yours. There is even a food blog group devoted to using one of her baking recipes per week (Tuesdays With Dorie - That's why if you see "TWD" on a food blog, the blogger used her recipe).
THIS is a cool blog post/video to read/watch. She talks with the late French baker, Lionel Piolane, who talks about baking with one hand. I couldn't help but picture all of the skin cells going into the dough, but it's a pretty interesting process mixing the sugar, eggs, flour, etc. together so beautifully by hand.
Anyway, this was my first time trying one of her recipes. I used extra dark chocolate (Scharffen Berger's 70% cacao chocolate chunks) and chopped it up extra. So good...but probably not to people who don't like dark chocolate. I wasn't watching the cookies too carefully, so I burned them, which isn't a problem to my family, but I can't give them to friends like that. I still have the rest of the batter in the fridge 'cause I'm making more for someone tomorrow or Tuesday.

Here's the recipe: From Kait's Plate
Here's another take on the recipe: Go see The Food Librarian.

Chocolate Shortbread

Today I tried a recipe from 500 Cookies by Phillipa Vanstone, which my bro gave me, for the first time. It was like a cross between cookies and brownies. Definitely not either though. It's in a liminal phase. haha I love liminality. Anyway, these are good. Like butter cookies but less dense. Giving some to Grandpa H. tomorrow. I made half with chocolate chips (I have a few Ghirardelli chips left) and half without.


I don't know why it said to sprinkle with granulated sugar. First of all, I it doesn't really need extra sugar (that might be just me though). I also clearly suck at sprinkling evenly.



Recipe:

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pecan Scones

Baked 12/17/09.

Buttery and not too sweet.







Original recipe here from Allrecipes.com (Change I made: I used chocolate chips & pecans)

• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup cold butter
• 1 cup chocolate chips + however many/much chopped pecans you want
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• milk for brushing
• extra sugar & cinnamon to sprinkle

(1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) & lightly grease a baking sheet
(2) Sift together wheat and all-purpose flours, baking powder, salt, sugar & cinnamon into a large bowl
(3) Rub butter into dry ingredients until it resembles fine breadcrumbs
(4) Stir in pecans & chocolate chips. Mix in the milk, just until blended and form dough into a ball.
(5) Put dough onto a floured surface
(6) Roll out & cut into a circle about 1/2 inch thick (I used a cup)
(7) Place scones on a greased baking sheet & brush with milk
(8) Sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar mixture
(9) Bake in preheated oven until risen and golden brown (10 to 12 minutes).

Chocolate Cream Pie With Meringue

Baked Sunday, 6/14/09 for Jackie T's high school grad party

This was my first time making a meringue topping by myself. I didn't get to try a piece because we took it to a potluck-style graduation party, but I tried the chocolate filling and the meringue separately, and they were good. People at the party said it was good too. Thank you, Young Living in Texas/AllRecipes.com


Meringue after being stirred...but before being whipped (i.e., the foamy stage):

Meringue after being whipped:



Not the prettiest crust...haha:



CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE RECIPE (original here):
* Pretty much didn't make any changes

• 1 2/3 cups water
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 5 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 egg yolks, beate
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 (9-inch) baked pastry shells

1. Mix water and cornstarch and cocoa until smooth.
2. Stir in milk & egg yolks.
   
3. Cook until thick in saucepan or microwave.
4. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter.
5. Add vanilla.
6. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally.
7. Pour into baked pie shell (I used a pre-made Safeway dough from Vons)
   
8. Top with meringue and brown (OR you can top with whipped cream after chilling the pie).

MERINGUE RECIPE (Didn't come with the chocolate cream recipe; can't remember where I got this. Sorry!):

1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons white sugar

1. In a small saucepan, combine water, 2 tablespoons white sugar, & cornstarch. Heat until clear, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
2. In a large glass or metal bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until foamy.
3. Mix in vanilla.
4. Gradually add the 6 tablespoons of sugar, beating constantly until meringue forms stiff peaks.
5. Gradually pour in cornstarch mixture, beating until stiff.
6. Spread over top of pie and seal to crust.
7. Brown in the oven at 375 degrees for 9-15 minutes, depending on the meringue's amount and size.

Pete's (not Peet's) Coffee Brownies

Baked 1.10.09 (along with these apple muffins again...original recipe here)

This is the third recipe I've tried from Pete's blog. So far they've all come out good (and well).

I was really worried about these brownies because I was making them for someone I sorta wanted to impress (not a boy), and a few of the comments on Pete's post were bad (they tried and failed). Mine came out just fine though! Thank goodness. They're pretty easy...except the melting & cooling the baking chocolate took awhile (I got impatient and cooled it in the freezer & refrigerator). Oh--and the edges are fantastic. Recipe below.

Oops...forgot to take an AFTER picture again. Here's the BEFORE (so light in color!):

COFFEE BROWNIES RECIPE (original here):

1 cup butter (softened)
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate (melted and cooled)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2-3 Tbsp instant coffee * I used a little bit more than 2 tablespoons

1. In a large bowl, blend together the butter & sugar
2. Add vanilla, eggs, melted chocolate, coffee, flour, & chocolate chips
3. Pour into a greased and floured 9×13-inch pan
4. Bake at 325 degrees F for 35 minutes (I had to bake them for extra long because they seemed too gooey/raw)

Hershey's Holiday Fudge Torte

This is sooo good and rich. My mom always says that we have to make this every year for our family New Year's party. This year I made two of them, but, for some reason, one's batter came out creamier and lighter than the other, but I don't understand how that happened because I was so careful making them. Oh well...I make mistakes all of the time. They seemed to taste the same.

The glaze is to die for.

See? One came out lighter than the other:



RECIPE for ONE TORTE (original recipe from the 2001 Hershey's Holiday Collection):

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa (you don't have to use Hershey's of course; I didn't)
1 1/2 tsp powdered instant coffee
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (softened)
3/4 cup dairy sour cream (or 8 oz.)
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Fudge nut glaze (recipe below)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Grease 9-inch round baking pan; line bottom with wax paper
3. Grease paper
4. Flour paper and pan
5. Stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, instant coffee, baking soda, & salt in large bowl
6. Add butter, sour cream, egg, & vanilla
7. Beat on low speed of mixer until blended (I did this one by hand 'cause we can't find our mixer)
8. Increase speed to medium & beat 3 minutes
9. Pour batter into prepared pan
10. Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean
11. Cool 10 minutes & then remove from pan to wire rack
12. Gently peel off wax paper & cool COMPLETELY
13. Prepare fudge nut glaze (recipe below).
14. Place cake on serving plate
15. Pour glaze evenly over cake, allowing some to run down sides (I let it all drizzle down)
16. Refrigerate until glaze is firm (~1 hour)

FUDGE NUT GLAZE RECIPE:

1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tsp light corn syrup
1/3 cup Hershey's semi-sweet chocolate chips (I didn't use Hershey's)
3/4 cup hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, or pecans (I excluded the nuts this time)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Combine all ingredients except nuts and vanilla in small saucepan
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils
3. Cook, stirring constantly, for five minutes
4. Remove from heat
5. Cool 10 minutes
6. Stir in nuts & vanilla

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

This was really easy to make, and you can actually taste the pumpkin AND the chocolate (like Baking Bites said). Made this last night for a family New Year's party.


Here's the recipe (got original recipe from here, which includes a graham cracker crust recipe):
*Note: I only used the filling recipe because I had an extra premade crust that I used

Filling:
3 large eggs (room temperature)
1 - 15-oz. can pumpkin puree (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
~1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (orig recipe calls for ginger and other spices)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup milk (I used non fat milk with a tiny bit of heavy whipping cream)

1. Set oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs with a whisk until slightly foamy (about 1 minute).
3. Whisk in remaining ingredients (except milk) and beat until smooth.
4. Whisk in milk.
5. Pour mixture into prepared cooled pie crust (can also use a pastry crust or a store-bought pie crust) and bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F.
6. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for about 30 more minutes until the pie filling jiggles only slightly and a knife comes out clean.
7. Cool completely on wire rack before cutting and refrigerate if storing leftovers.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Baked Tuesday, 11.4.08

These two big pics are of the peanut butter ones, but most of them were just plain chocolate cookies with chocolate chips. I was really just experimenting with putting peanut butter in the middles of these, and they came out yummy. I was going to try this chocolate peanut butter munchies recipe, but I won't anymore because it's healthier if you just use peanut butter without the extra sugar and stuff. Easy recipe. Good cookies! I'd definitely make these again--maybe next time half with peanut butter and half without.


RECIPE HERE (minus the walnuts) from Allrecipes.com

Another 3-Layer Chocolate Cake

* Baked around Christmas 2006 *




I think this was a chocolate cake for two Christmases ago. It's three-layer chocolate cake (allll chocolate), but it turned out dry on the inside. At least the frosting was really good. No recipe...sorry (probably don't want it anyway).

Slightly Burnt Boston Cream Pie

* Baked 1.13.07 *

I guess it did get a little brown (it shouldn't have been though because I took it out a couple of minutes before the minimum amount of time)...but at least it's not black!! I didn't like the ugly parts, so I smoothed down the chocolate over them. I'm not sure how this one turned out because I only licked the spoons of the chocolate and the custard. I hope my friend liked it! If it turned out like the one we made for our other friend a couple of years ago, it was good...I think (we used the same recipe). Can't remember. Anyways, HERE is the recipe for that from The Prepared Pantry.

The 3-Layer Chocolate Cake

* Baked 12.2007 I think...2007 for sure*

Mom and I made this cake (the recipe was in a magazine...I don't know the name of it) for our family friends (and yes, I washed my hands repeatedly in order to take these step-by-step pictures):

The Frosting:
This cake tasted fantastic. Both the cake and the frosting were a hundred times better than those of the chocolate fudge cake with coffee frosting from Christmas Eve. It wasn't too too difficult, although it takes extra time because you have to make three layers and then frost the whole thing. You also have to be careful not to put too much frosting in between the layers because I had JUST enough with which to cover the top. Perfect. If only it were low in sugar and fat. Haha.