Description
Levain Bakery Coffee Toffee Cookies are indulgent, rich cookies featuring a blend of semisweet and milk chocolate-covered homemade toffee pieces embedded in a cocoa and espresso-infused dough. These cookies have a perfect balance of crunchy toffee and a soft, slightly chewy interior, inspired by the famous Levain Bakery style.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate-covered Toffee
- 3 oz semisweet chocolate
- 3 oz milk chocolate
- ½ cup coarsely chopped homemade toffee (approximately 100g), plus extra for topping
Cookie Dough
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (180g)
- ¼ cup black cocoa powder (21g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (84g)
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar (70g)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (42g)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (5ml)
- ¾ teaspoon espresso powder
Instructions
- Make the Chocolate-covered Toffee: Prepare homemade toffee following the referenced recipe, then let it set and break it into ¾-inch pieces. Melt semisweet and milk chocolate together gently using a double boiler or microwave until smooth. Mix about ½ cup of the toffee pieces into the melted chocolate, coating them evenly. Spread the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and let it harden. Once set, chop the chocolate-covered toffee into ½-inch pieces.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup and non-stick baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly blended.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter with both light brown and granulated sugars along with the vanilla extract. Use a rubber spatula or electric mixer on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
- Add Egg and Espresso: Add the room temperature egg to the creamed mixture and mix until incorporated. Sprinkle the espresso powder over and stir to dissolve it fully into the batter.
- Combine Flour and Butter Mixtures: Add the dry ingredients all at once to the wet mixture and fold gently with a spatula. Before fully incorporating the flour, fold in the chocolate-covered toffee pieces evenly into the dough.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the dough bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up the dough and develop flavors.
- Shape and Bake: Using a 2-ounce cookie scoop or hands, portion out approximately 4 ½ oz (135g) balls of dough. Place dough balls (2 per cookie) onto the prepared baking sheet leaving space for spreading. Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cookies are golden brown on the surface but still soft in the middle.
- Cool: Remove the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let cookies cool for 3 minutes on the sheet before transferring them fully to the rack to cool completely, ensuring the texture sets perfectly.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is softened to room temperature for easy creaming and optimal cookie texture.
- Using black cocoa powder contributes to the cookie’s dark color and rich chocolate flavor; Dutch-processed cocoa can be a substitute but will alter flavor slightly.
- Do not overmix the dough once the flour is added to avoid tough cookies.
- Chilling the dough overnight can improve flavor and texture if time allows.
- Keep cookie balls rustic; avoid rolling dough into smooth balls to maintain Levain’s signature texture.
- If homemade toffee is unavailable, use good-quality store-bought toffee pieces, though fresh homemade is preferred for best flavor.
- Monitor cookies closely during the second baking stage to prevent overbaking and maintain softness inside.
