Recreating The Levain Chocolate Chip Cookie | Anything With Alvin

[@zolo49noname45]

Alvin and Andrew should team up and make some awesome banana walnut muffins that neither of them can ever taste.

[@genericuser984]

get all the food allergies of the crew and make one giant Bane of Babish dish

[@phoenixwings274]

Alvin can't eat walnuts?

[@slindish]

@@phoenixwings274 7:40

[@ryanfowler3140]

@@phoenixwings274 did we watch the same video?

[@JetstreamGW]

@@phoenixwings274 He said it at least twice.

[@katies3971]

I think Alvins end cookie looked fantastic. I've seen a video of how they make them in the shop. They don't give you the recipe, but the mixing method. The butter and sugar isn't creamed until smooth. They use frozen butter and mix with with the dry ingredients to almost a chunky crumble then add mix ins and shape. Freeze and bake from frozen. You get the craggles from the uneven mix of ingredients. Clever. I'd love to try both versions - probably never will as I like in the UK and am also coelic.

[@Spartan3457]

Exactly, like the Babish crew said, the Levain texture is more of a scone, so creaming the butter and sugar seems counter-intuitive.

[@mariaaurangzeb5622]

But they don’t? If you ever watch the old levain video they specifically say they cream butter and sugar

[@Mattlott222]

I like how no matter what Alvin is eating he always looks like it's a huge bite of the best food

[@BLTkitchen]

His reactions sell the recipes

[@Jerrbearr0520]

OGs know that Babish collabed with Joshua Weissman to recreate the Levain cookie.

[@jessislistless]

Alvin is also pretty well known for his cookie videos

[@carbon2858]

I was sitting here confused because I know that Babish did this year's ago, I used his recipe and made some for friends and me.

[@ConstantlyDamaged]

@@jessislistless Yeah. Those 48hr cookies looked to die for.

[@notahotshot]

​@@carbon2858 Babish did not do this years ago. Joshua Weissman did it, and Babish was a guest on the episode.

[@nicholasborrelli7544]

That's what happens when you run out of ideas for content...

[@graefx]

I was always told that instead of "golden brown" and delicious, push to *mahogany* on a lot of things. The darker you get without burning, the better. But in practice thats a lot more tricky balancing the heat and time to dry and get things dark without developing burnt spots but at the same time, not overcooking. I learned that golden brown is a lot more fool proof but mahogany is a lot more delicious. Assuming you're not allergic, Pecans are a great substitue to Walnuts and honestly my preferred tree nut.

[@joeterry1988]

😂😅

[@lolasanchez650]

heavy on the pecans bro

[@Pikapower7]

Absolutely on the pecans!

[@gigi7204]

live for pecans

[@apawhite]

Why did I watch this? Now I feel acutely aware that I have no cookies.

[@battiekoda]

Hahaha!!!!! Had the same reaction about 5 mins. in!!!

[@jasminerivers7446]

This is the mortal risk we all take to watch cooking shows

[@chichibangbang3667]

18 sticks of butter. I thought Alvin was going to create a GIANT sized cookie

[@BLTkitchen]

Haha cookiezilla powered by butter

[@gibberishname]

19 minute video... never gave a recipe of the final version that actually worked.

[@Wish4UrMaster]

100% agree, one of the things they often don't do as well as other channels.

[@darcypolites]

literally, like how hard is it to just put the final recipe 😭

[@theonlyteddybare]

They don’t actually want you to have it. They’re gonna put it in a book and sell it to you $$$

[@hollyt6848]

This is extremely frustrating and tacky. I watch Glen and Friends on KZbin and he always gives a recipe and his recipes are legit.

[@thurston_last]

Something I personally do every now and again is add Instant Chocolate Pudding mix to the cookie. It has stabilizers and cornstarch in it already, just like a tablespoon will heighten the chocolate taste and probably give you the fudgy icing or hot chocolate taste you're looking for. Can either completely eliminate the cornstarch or just lower the amount.

[@biancajingles2690]

You can achieve a levain cookie texture by using the “reverse creaming” method where COLD butter, sugars, inclusions (walnuts, chocolate chips) and dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda) are mixed first to form a crumbly mix before adding the wet ingredients (egg, vanilla). This contributes to the fluffy, craggy, scone-like texture. Maintaining the height of the cookie depends on baking them from frozen and measuring around 1/4 cup/125g of dough per cookie. I’ve been developing a levain cooking recipe for YEARS and I think I’ve finally landed on the final recipe/technique that yields a bit firmer cookies than levains and not too sweet. I also use browned butter and add cinnamon to the mix. 😋

[@mmbrown82]

Yes, I was wondering why they didn’t do the cold butter method. Living at elevation, I typically do the room temp method with creaming for about 7 minutes, though.

[@MrsRemyLabeau]

share your recipie? PLEASE

[@biancajingles2690]

@@MrsRemyLabeau I would love to share it with you but right now it’s written with both grams/cup measurements so I have to refine it a bit to do one recipe in grams and one in cup measurements

[@MrsRemyLabeau]

@@biancajingles2690 thankyou I can't wait for it!! Xx

[@Natalia-f6j]

​@biancajingles2690 I'm happy to clean it up for you!

[@claytonrios1]

The right ratio of chocolate chips to cookie dough is always important.

[@OriginalElysian]

I mean, Alvin and Levain are almost anagrams so no wonder he nailed this.

[@ck9618]

It makes me happy that someone else noticed this.

[@Del_S]

Alvin is now Alvine. Nagaram now possible.

[@DrAlwaysFirst]

Those socks look delicious. How long do they bake for?

[@Ineddiblehulk]

Depends on your oven, and how humid it is where you live

[@Jay-ate-a-bug]

Be sure to freeze them overnight before baking for thick dry socks.

[@chichibangbang3667]

I think it's a no bake sock 😉

[@BASSPLAYER13]

420

[@8leggedsquirrel521]

Just as a side note their socks are incredibly expensive. Literally some of the most expensive socks I've ever seen

[@HellaFluff]

Bro those big flat cookies look insanely satisfying i want one so bad

[@JeffO-]

I would much prefer the 'flat' ones.

[@idalaursen8935]

Having Never been to New York, I have no experience with the Levain cookies but they literally do look just like a scone decided it was a cookie. A cookie and scone baby - a scookie🤭

[@MK-jj1is]

You are right. Just ate Levain cookies for the first time, and I felt they were like a hybrid of cookies and scones for both texture and fillingness.

[@Smithers888]

Also never been to NY; my first thought seeing them in the video was "those look like rock cakes, not cookies." Don't know if that makes sense outside the UK, but image search for 'rock cake' and you'll see what I mean.

[@Qwertylol]

I’ve also never been to NYC and have no frame of reference and was thinking at first glance that they look similar to a muffin or scone. New York does seem to champion quite a few new culinary trends, think the rainbow bagel, and don’t quote me on this because I’m not 100% sure, but didn’t the cronut come from New York, too? The scookie might just be the next big thing out of New York 😊

[@JeffO-]

Skokie

[@Grimmevere]

well babish got me. i saw the video, got instantly an URGE to make cookies, looked for the best cookie recipe and found the tasty video with 44mil views and was like.... hmmm no joshua has some actual skill. not 33 seconds into the video i saw babish bringing him to levain chocolate chip cookies, so HERE WE ARE xD truth be told: can we get the acutal recipe? it got changed a lot through the video and i want to recreate them :D

[@Franklin_Johanessan]

Wait, I'm just curious, what's up with Joshua?

[@RDawn]

YEAH RECIPE, PLEASE!!

[@Krossfyre]

​@@Franklin_JohanessanLots of people find his style obnoxious. Too heavily edited and overuse of spanking and "papa" and other terms.

[@s0th]

@@Krossfyrehe was a lot better years ago, but the algorithm is a harsh mistress

[@maromania7]

Give it a few days, it'll probably be on the website like most of their recipes

[@chrisanderson1461]

$5.25 US dollars for one cookie?! I'm missing out here in Canada, but that is a lot for one cookie. I hope they are amazing to justify that.

[@tatianaalvarez8633]

Lol I hated them when I went

[@mmbrown82]

I’ve made my own version of these and my customers had no problem paying $5 a cookie. 6oz is a huge cookie. Most cookies are about 2oz or less. When you break down the cost of making them, $5 fits in the math of properly for pricing your product to make. And something about buying/eating a 6oz cookie is fun and satisfying. 😊

[@joyalshaji2730]

imagine living in Canada

[@thejoshuahatcher]

Anything With Alvin "Go Ahead" Count: Only 4 "go ahead"s (0.2 "go ahead"s per minute). Seems Alvin is cutting down on his "go ahead"s.

[@FaultAndDakranon]

And I thank him for not overusing that conversational crutch.

[@thejoshuahatcher]

@@FaultAndDakranon I wouldn't recommend watching "243 Layer Butter Toast" then - a whopping 20 "go ahead"s (2.9 "go ahead"s per minute)!

[@charliebrown1828]

Moisture? This is fantastic. I finally got the Babish chocolate chip recipe down which are really great. Always a big hit at the family get togethers. This is going to be my next project. They look great! Especially the chocolate peanut butter.

[@RossOriginals]

If they have a scone line texture they probably just have more flour in them. I baked cookies with too much flour once and that's kinda how they ended up.

[@lisa-m-jennings]

You are absolutely right I bake choc chip cookies just like those shown in the video at the beginning and the key is more flour.

[@cabe_bedlam]

Oatmeal Raisin Crew represent!

[@joeterry1988]

😂

[@andraw4002]

You still have time to delete this

[@gideonros2705]

​@andraw4002😂

[@NiamhAllStar21]

Wow I have NOT been taking my browned butter far enough. This changes everything

[@SunnylandProds]

I’m interested to try these to see how they stack up to Gideon’s. Gideon’s is a local place here in Orlando known for their half-pound cookies that are basically crispy on the outside while being “medium rare” on the inside, and they are one of life’s greatest pleasures.

[@danielschnipke]

Triathlete here, I definitely eat a lot of cookies

[@benwasserman8223]

Normally I would buy a batch of Levain cookies from Shoprite or head to the Noho bakery location. But this recipe sounds great - excited to try it out.

[@JeffO-]

What's the recipe?

[@MrVovansim]

Never heard of this place, went to their website, and apparently they have plenty of stores nationwide. Might have to check it out, next time I'm somewhere that has it.

[@pwkim21]

I’ve been making these at home for the last couple years, based on my experience with eating Levain cookies. Curious to see how Alvin does it.

[@noone1929]

I guess I could be bribed into marathon training with cookies...

[@davidtaylor111]

Josh Wiseman did a video making those cookies and I've used that recipe ever since and they are almost identical

[@RovingARock]

Please put an actual written recipe in the description! Or a link to it on the BCU site at the very least. It kept changing and all the parts are scattered throughout the video.

[@grcfan]

Stella Parks has the recipe down. Made them a while back and they came out perfectly

[@quirin5061]

That vantablack cookie is so cool😍

[@stevenelson2641]

Missus sez: Best sock ad ever! Well done! Ads are such a pain, but I understand they are necessary.

[@foulbowlsoup]

they put coconut flakes to make it not go flat. or u can alternative add 1/3 coconut flour then 2/3 regular flour to make it not go flat.

[@anthonyguidas2012]

I like those extra dark cookies with the peanut butter chips. That would make a great Halloween cookie.

[@Bertziethegreat]

You guys should try freeze drying the cookie dough before baking it, see what that does.

[@JohnFoley1701]

I am nowhere near New York, so I have not tried those cookies, but they do not look like the kind i would like. I prefer flat, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside cookies like the first batch you made.

[@KarlaEmmerson]

They look like bread

[@essaboselin5252]

Plus $6 per cookie? Even for a big cookie, that's insane.

[@Nanetteb]

I felt like having a levain cookie after seeing this recipe.They’re so chunky as you made these cookies.

[@bellabean7]

Alvin’s 48 hour cookie recipe from his own channel has been a staple in our house forever, so looks like we have to make some new additions!

[@ginamarie19]

I found a recipe online for their cookies. It’s what I use now! Only calls for two eggs. They look just like the ones from the store.

[@michaelfriedman1666]

love seeing these dishes being made. just watched a cooking anime called "restaurant to another world" and saw an episode with three different types of omelette fried rice that might make a awesome episode.

[@praneeth_wtby]

I hope Levain never goes out of business because I wanna try them so bad 😭 (been eyeing them for 6+ years, thanks Worth It)

[@denlimwolf]

This series should be called "anyone but Babish." We're seeing more Alvin then Babish, lol.

[@Bogo85]

"There's no brown butter in these." *Makes a gallon of brown butter*

[@gighousekitchen]

It seems like their cookie recipe is somewhere between a cookie and a rockcake. I wonder if you make a recipe somewhere in-between then you would get that gooey yet craggily texture? 🤔

[@nicoler5713]

Yeah, the second I saw those cookies, I immediately said "aren't these just rock cakes? Do Americans not have rock cakes?"

[@maromania7]

@@nicoler5713 not really, no. Apparently that's a british recipe that got popular in the UK and Ireland due to WWII rationing, I'd never heard of them until your comment.

[@erzsebetkovacs2527]

@@maromania7 Asking as not a Brit: what's the connection between rockcakes being what they are and WWII rationing?

[@MilkBoy17520]

The special dark cocoa powder one is crazy looking, I laughed so hard at the close up

[@dimmingstar]

i can definitely say that i 100% share your preferences for cookies Alvin, and as such may not be too impressed with Levain's either xD not too sweet, deeper, with salt to balance it all out -- yes please! the peanut butter chips from popular recommendation are spot-on too, and Reese's ..:Q_______ oh lord, i can only imagine the perfection that would taste like .. thanks again for your hard efforts and veritable experimentation Alvin

[@Fallinghoshi]

I’m like Alvin I love toffee in my cookies.

[@AndrewBeckman-g4f]

Mom always used the old recipe from neslie tollhouse cookies, but I can't remember either mom or dad didn't like the extremely spreading action and she added another cup of flour to the batch

[@Whatyamightcallit]

at 4:12 thinking "so you're telling me i can make a better version? Because these aren't that great? Just very sweet and big?"

[@briannawalker4793]

Alvin: yay famous cookies! Alvin, after taking a bite: *drags them for filth, immediately makes grownup versions*

[@MindfulMya]

I see Alvin I click! ❤

[@singmeunder]

This came out at a perfect time. My boss was talking about this, and I wanted to try making it

[@lucyeverett2861]

Idc what anyone says levian cookies are my all time favorite

[@call_me_ping]

Hi Babish! thank you for everything you do

[@Atayrmy]

Was just watching Alvins 48 hour cookies video lol

[@samanthawilliams549]

I used to work at a place where we’d UberEats Levain cookies any time we had to do an overnight. I don’t miss that job but man do I miss free Levain cookies 😋

[@13paleo1]

14:30 bro invented gothalic chip

[@yoshiyen_]

this just inspired me to bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies, that sounds like a crazy combo

[@Chaos0f7ife]

For the next episode of "Anything with Alvin" you should just steal a Binging with Babish episode.

[@notahotshot]

Do you mean a Joshua Weissman episode? Because Babish never did these.

[@CesarSandoval024]

That kirkland butter is what makes it longer to brown

[@MyLittlePwnyta]

Oh man Alvin if you like coconut, you gotta try coconut pecan cookies! They used to have them at a few grocery stores where I grew up. I can't really find them anywhere else...

[@babydrobi1]

When i worked at Panera, they had a cookie similar to Levain... I think they used bread flour instead of cake flour...???

[@Hungry_Hufflepuff_]

I love levain! Just went this week in Montauk, my closest locations are both 2 hours away from me 😭

[@jackiebelcher8288]

I will stick with Alvin’s 48 hour cookies and Joshua weissmans levain cookies lol😂 This was great and I learned a lot !!!

[@Enishidono]

I want to see you on 'Great British Bake Off'! Just fake a British accent ;)

[@emiliosman820]

These Levain are amazing cookies, I love them. I wonder though how these guys are so thin.... hmm , great video, thanks!

[@camcates9398]

Watching Justine Eats taught me you need more flour to get your cookies taller and more like Levain.

[@mainecdesign]

BEEN WAITING ON THIS VIDEO FOR DECADES

[@MatthiaGryffine]

These are the perfect cookies for Cookie Monster

[@DavinStewart]

Thank you for another quality video. This one strikes close to my heart since chocolate chip cookies are a passion of mine and I've taken the blue ribbon at the NC state fair for them. A couple of quick questions on your technique, if you don't mind. 16:29 Did you bake them cold or let them warm up to room temp? Did you chill them covered or uncovered? 16:42 "So definitely not using baking powder or baking soda gets you close to the results." You used NO leavener at all?? Thanks again!

[@racheldolfi6533]

We baked them cold! And no leavener at all, which was so weird for all of us! But the cookies weighed about 7 ounces once rolled, and the height actually stayed!

[@nabilaldamlouji21]

@@racheldolfi6533 Hello Rachel, Would it be possible to get the final recipe please? they look amazing !

[@xero110]

Naming this episode "Levain With Alvin" seems like a missed opportunity.

[@agbenfante]

Secret test kitchen episode 👌

[@blujen1642]

Reducing the Sugar causes Cookies to Rise and have a different Texture

[@nemurenuyorumoonlight8778]

Alvin visiting Maison Pickle to try it's 24 layer cake when?

[@Darkness44452]

I need to see an Alvin vs mythical chefs

[@joyl7842]

Melt the butter in a microwave oven, then transfer it to the pan. Saves a lot of time and energy.

[@riele-z7l]

brown butter gives it a nutty taste

[@rudevalve]

Certified Gold!!!!!

[@nashtymavsfan13]

Great video! Any way to get the finalized recipe that worked the best for recreating?

[@nabilaldamlouji21]

Upppp ! I'd be down as well please , because got confused with the ingredients towards the end but great video !

[@maromania7]

check thier website later, the recipe usually appears within a few days.

[@Itswellnessgirl]

Thank you

[@riele-z7l]

@@maromania7it never appeared

[@BLTkitchen]

I watched this with my cat. He meowed at the cookie.

[@GirishManjunathMusic]

didn't BCU already do this once with Joshua Weissman a while ago?

[@hyperboles6563]

They did. Maybe they found a better or updated recipe(?) But it's still nice.

[@MasterOfBepis]

other way around, it was josh's video and he had babby as a guest cuz new york

[@jordanexploded]

alvin gets to make anything he wants!

[@GirishManjunathMusic]

@@MasterOfBepis ah. so I'm misremembering who was the guest.

[@GirishManjunathMusic]

@@jordanexploded i will not argue that.

[@bunnyphang]

On today's episode of browned butter with Alvin :P

[@mwwhatever]

Would adding warm water instead of ice prevent the zesty reaction or do you need the ice to stop it from cooking more?

[@SarahAbramova]

I'm definitely learning this one

[@Ryan50Ryan]

14:15 Homie made an obsidian cookie.

[@kyokoyumi]

"They almost seem like a scone and a cookie had a baby together" Yeah I was thinking they looked like scones xD Your chocolate one looks like a lump of coal. Would make for an interesting Christmas thing XD

[@arlenehutchinson9259]

Ooh finally I understand the cookie 🍪 it was endurance food ...not for pleasure. Thanks for the historical fact. I've always wondered about it's look. 😂

[@Xepherya]

They look more like cake. Nothing I'd want in a cookie, but fun to watch the process

[@HarryHasAbigWilly]

Alvin's episodes are the best, but Babish himself is kind of at the jump-the-shark moment that all KZbinrs eventually reach.

[@KarlaEmmerson]

What does it mean?

[@Zenobiwan]

for the chocolate/peanut butter ones, you guys effectively made goth cookies lol

[@Imblu95]

Thats no longer a cookie thats a tough cake

[@minidee2194]

Is sponsorblock down for anyone else? It's not skipping the ads today for some reason, same on my laptop too.

[@frogberries]

You should do the blue cookies from Percy jackson!

[@morrispearl9981]

I think that when they bake the cookies at Levain, that the cookies are frozen solid on the pans when they put them into the oven.

[@JasTavares]

I love listening to Alvin, its asmr and his hands, they are so elegant.

[@TurinAlexander]

Those are some impressive cookies, but $5.25 each, that's pretty steep. Though, I do agree that oatmeal raisin needs more love. It's one my favorite type of cookie.

[@CharisseKenionYT]

This is toooo satisfying

[@Dynomite303]

You were supposed to do the NYC method I think.. add dry ingredients after the butter, egg in last !!

[@Psianth]

Can't spell Levain without Alvin

[@lizabee7791]

…I’m gonna end up going to Levain tomorrow, aren’t I?

[@lizabee7791]

I went to Levain