Description
These Ultimate Levain Rocky Road Cookies are thick, gooey, and packed with rich chocolate, mini marshmallows, and crunchy roasted cashews. With a fudgy cocoa base and a soft, chewy texture, these oversized cookies deliver an indulgent rocky road experience in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, cold
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup cake flour
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (high-quality, like Dutch-processed)
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Add-Ins
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 3/4 cup roasted cashews, roughly chopped (or almonds)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 410°F (210°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cold butter cubes with the brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 4 minutes until the mixture is creamy and slightly fluffy. This step helps maintain the cookie’s thick, chunky texture.
- Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, mixing just until incorporated, which should take about 30 seconds. Avoid overmixing.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients on low speed, mixing just until combined to avoid overworking the dough.
- Fold in Add-Ins: Gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and chopped cashews using a spatula. If marshmallows stick out on the edges, tuck them in slightly so they don’t melt excessively during baking.
- Shape Cookies: Scoop the dough into 6-ounce portions, about 3/4 cup each, forming tall, rough balls without flattening them. Place only 4 cookies per baking sheet and space them well apart as they will spread a little during baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone. Remove from oven and immediately use a spatula to gently push any spread edges back toward the center to maintain a round, thick shape.
- Cool Properly: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. This helps the cookies set and retain their signature thick texture.
Notes
- Use cold butter and eggs to achieve the signature thick texture resembling Levain Bakery cookies.
- Do not overmix the dough once the dry ingredients are added to prevent tough cookies.
- Adjust baking time slightly depending on your oven; underbaking slightly yields the best gooey centers.
- For crunch variation, swap roasted cashews with roasted almonds or walnuts.
- These cookies are large and very rich; sharing is recommended!
