This beauty right here is one of my Smash Cookies, which is a recipe in my brand new cookbook, Zoë Bakes Cookies! In fact, it’s the cookie on the cover. I hope you’ll give it a try—it’s just too good to keep to myself.
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Get all of my cookie recipes by ordering your copy of Zoë Bakes Cookies here!
I was inspired by the Levain Bakery cookie craze in New York City to create a big, thick, chocolaty pile of deliciousness. These gigantic cookies are best served warm and slightly under-baked, so you get the feel of toasty, just shy of raw, cookie dough.
As I was creating my version of this wildly popular cookie, something a little unexpected happened, and they turned into smash cookies. The dough mixes together like a crumb topping you’d put on a fruit crisp or crumble, which I then press together into a ball. I chill the dough balls, bake them big and round, then smash them flat when they come out of the oven. This way the inside stays soft, but the outside has a toffee-like flavor and slight crispiness. The secret to this recipe lies in the giant balls of dough; if you make them smaller, they won’t have the same consistency.
I stopped by my friend Jessie Sheehan‘s Brooklyn kitchen to make these Smash Cookies with her! Jessie has a new book being released at the end of this month, titled Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes: 100 Easy-Peasy, Savory Recipes for 24/7 Deliciousness. You can pre-order her book here now!
You can also hear Jessie and me deep dive into the Smash Cookies recipe on the She’s My Cherry Pie podcast she hosts for Cherry Bombe magazine!
Servings: 12 large cookies
- 3 1/2 cups (420g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. (200g) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 2 1/4 cups (450g) lightly packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 5 oz (140g) bittersweet chocolate finely chopped or chips
- 1 cup (140g) toasted pecan pieces or walnuts, macadamia nuts, coconut, dried cherries, M&Ms, or whatever you can think to jam in there
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until uniformly mixed. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until they are incorporated. With a wooden spoon mix in the flour mixture all at once until just incorporated. It should be quite thick, but not dry. Add the chopped chocolate and nut pieces.
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Press together roughly shaped 4.25-ounce (120g) dough balls. Don’t flatten them; the dough balls should be the shape of a baseball. Refrigerate the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet for at least 1 hour; if you have the time, the cookies will be even thicker if you let them sit for 24 to 36 hours. After they are chilled, you can bake them or freeze the dough balls for baking later.
BAKING INSTRUCTIONS
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Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C convection heat (or 400°F/205°C flat heat). Double up two baking sheets and line with parchment paper. The double sheets will prevent the bottoms from over-browning in the hot oven. Evenly space six chilled dough balls on the prepared doubled baking sheets. Leave 2 inches/5 centimeters between them so they can be smashed after baking. Bake, one sheet at a time, in the middle of the oven for about 12 to 14 minutes or until they are golden brown on the outside, but still soft in the center.
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Remove the sheets from the oven and while they are still hot, gently smash the cookies with a metal spatula so they are 1-inch/2.5 centimeters thick disks. Allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then move to a cooling rack.
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Enjoy slightly warm or at room temperature.
VARIATION: BROWN BUTTER SMASH BLONDIES
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Replace the butter with brown butter and mix as directed above. Smash the dough into a 9 by 13-inch/24 by 36-centimeter pan, lined with a lightly greased parchment-paper sling. Bake at 375°F/190°C for about 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Allow to cool completely in the pan before removing and cutting.
From Zoë Bakes Cookie: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Favorite Cookies and Bars by Zoë François. Reprinted by permission of by Ten Speed Press.