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SWEET BAKES

Smash Cookies From Zoë François

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 underbaked, 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.

Photo by Zoë François

INGREDIENTS

Makes about 12 large cookies
 
3½ cups/420 grams all-purpose flour
 
1 teaspoon baking powder
 
1 teaspoon baking soda
 
1¼ teaspoon kosher salt
 
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons/200 grams unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
 
2¼ cups/450 grams lightly packed brown sugar
 
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
 
2 eggs, at room temperature
 
5 ounces/140 grams bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped or chips
 
1 cup/140 grams toasted pecan pieces (or walnuts, macadamia nuts, coconut, dried cherries, M&Ms, or whatever you can think to jam in there)
 
 

METHOD

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

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.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Press together roughly shaped 4.25-ounce/120 grams 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.

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.

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.

Enjoy slightly warm or at room temperature.

VARIATION: BROWN BUTTER SMASH BLONDIES
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.

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