Miso Walnut Double-Thick Chocolate-Chip Cookies Recipe
By Nicola Lamb
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Easy
Unashamedly thick cookies inspired by the Levain Bakery in New York – thick and gooey in the middle (when warm) and crisp on the edge. A winner! When I lived in the city, I would travel 70 blocks just to get one of these. Compared to other cookies, these have a relatively low butter and sugar content in relation to the other ingredients and an extremely high proportion of mix-ins, which you can change to suit your mood.
Don’t reduce the quantity though – they play an important role structurally! The baking time is variable – it’s up to you how dangerously gooey you want them. The addition of miso walnuts, a technique shared with me by friend and mentor Ayako Watanbe, brings an extra complexity.
This recipe is extracted from SIFT by Nicola Lamb, Ebury Press £30, Photography Sam A Harris
Try Nicola's recipe for Secret Chocolate Cake or Olive Oil Brie-oche here!
Ingredients for Miso Walnut Double-Thick Chocolate-Chip Cookies
For miso walnuts
- 50g mirin rice wine
- 40g caster sugar
- 50g white miso
- 100g walnuts, toasted
For cookies
- 90g butter, softened
- 80g soft light brown sugar
- 80g caster sugar
- 50g whole eggs (about 1)
- 220g plain flour
- 3g bicarbonate of soda (about ½ tsp)
- 4g flaky sea salt (about 1⅛ tsp), plus a sprinkle on top
- 260g dark chocolate, chopped
How to make Miso Walnut Double-Thick Chocolate-Chip Cookies
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To make the miso walnuts, heat together the rice wine, caster sugar and white miso over a medium heat. When boiling, add the toasted walnuts and mix together, cooking for 2 minutes more over a low heat until thickened. Remove from the pan and leave to cool completely before using.
To make the cookies, cream the butter with the sugars until well combined but not
aerated – it should look a little fluffy.Whisk in the egg, scraping down as needed to make sure it’s evenly combined. Sift the dry ingredients together, then fold through the emulsified butter/egg mixture. Add the walnuts and stir through to break them up a bit before mixing in the chocolate.
Form into loose 180g balls, keeping them looking and feeling airy!
At this stage you can chill the dough overnight if you like, or you can bake right away. I didn’t notice a super significant difference.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan. Line a large, flat baking tray with baking paper.
Spread the balls of dough on the baking tray. Bake for 18 minutes (though you could do 16 minutes or up to 20 minutes to suit your taste!). Leave to cool completely on a cooling rack. Sprinkle a little extra salt on top if you like and then leave to cool. Ideally enjoy whilst still a little bit warm, but they are just as good completely cooled! The texture will change from gooey to more firm.
About the author
Nicola Lamb, a London-based pastry chef and consultant, authors "Kitchen Projects," a top 10 Substack newsletter. She has contributed to The Guardian, Olive Magazine, and ES Magazine, and hosts popular pastry parties with her pop-up bakery, Lark!
