Creating Levain Bakery NYC Cookies can be a fun and rewarding experience. Follow these straightforward steps to bake your own delicious cookies:

1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and creamy.
3. Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract until the mixture is well combined.
4. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
5. Combine Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
6. Fold in Chocolate Chips: Gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped walnuts, if using, until evenly distributed.
7. Form Cookies: Using a large cookie scoop or your hands, form generous rounds of dough and place them onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie.
8. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. The centers may look slightly underbaked, which is perfect for that gooey texture!
9. Cool: Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

By following these steps, you’ll create cookies that are just as delightful as those from Levain Bakery!