The Dish: Levain Bakery shares brownie bites recipe inspired by its original cookie

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — We know Santa loves cookies and if you’re looking to sweeten it this year, we have the recipe for you!

Action News’ Alicia Vitarelli visited a viral cookie chain that recently opened here in Philadelphia: Levain Bakery.

In the words of Buddy The Elf, Levain cookies are “huge.”

The cookie is the size of your hand and weighs six ounces!

The two women who dreamed up the bakery nearly 30 years ago met with Vitarelli at their new Rittenhouse location to share some secrets.

Pamela Weekes and Connie McDonald say their first cookie is their most famous. It’s the chocolate chip and walnut cookie.

It’s crispy on the outside and ooey gooey on the inside.

“I think the nuts make it a little more flavorful,” McDonald says.

“I never get tired of it,” adds Weekes.

Their cookie story begins in the ’80s, when they were both training in the same pool.

“We became fast friends,” McDonald says. “We started doing a lot of triathlons together. One thing led to another and we ended up opening a small bakery on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, which is what we thought was the goal.”

That was in 1995. They then expanded to the Hamptons, then across the country.

In October, they opened their 15th location in Philadelphia, at 15th and Walnut streets.

“We like to go to places where we can be part of the neighborhood and where we think we can grow with the community and hopefully where we have cookie fans,” Weekes said.

“That’s what we love about Philadelphia,” McDonald adds. “You love sports. You love eating. We thought you’d really like cookies.”

Cookies are so big because women created them as personal treats and a reward after a rigorous workout.

“At one point we were training for an Ironman triathlon and wanted a nice dessert,” says McDonald.

And you don’t have to eat it all yourself.

“It’s perfect to share,” McDonald says. “It’s so satisfying.”

A fun fact about the business is that Levain started as a bakery.

“We’re going to start with brioche dough, which is a lot like a rich buttery dough,” says McDonald as he shows us how to make his famous chocolate brioche. “Instead of making croissants at the bakery, because we see a lot of them in town and everything, we decided to make some brioche instead.”

After a trip to Paris, they decided to change the brioche and sell it in individual slices.

Turns out it was a brilliant decision. The slices are a huge success and have inspired many other bakeries to follow suit.

“You can fill your buns with whatever you want,” says McDonald.

The two friends work in tandem, dreaming up new flavors and deciding where to open the next Sourdough.

“We say that’s our greatest accomplishment is that we’re still friends,” Weekes said.

“Many partnerships fail to achieve the commercial side,” adds McDonald.

The ladies couldn’t share the secrets to their signature cookies or those brioche slices, but they did give us the recipe for their delicious brownie bites.

These brownie bites inspired by Levain’s original and most famous cookie, Chocolate Walnut Chip, are perfect for your holiday cookie exchange!

Brownie Bites Recipe from Levain Bakery

Cooking time – 40 minutes

Preparation time – 15 minutes

Yield – 16-25 small brownies

Ingredients

• 1 cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup large pieces of walnuts, very roughly chopped
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Butter and flour an 8″ x 8″ baking dish (see note) using 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour.

1. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon flour to an 8″ x 8″ baking dish (see note)

1. Melt chocolate and remaining 1 cup butter in a medium saucepan on the stove over low heat. Mix well with a medium silicone spatula to combine well. Remove the chocolate and butter mixture from the heat once melted and combined, and immediately add the white sugar to the pan, continuing to stir with a spatula until well combined.

1. Remove the chocolate and butter mixture from the heat once melted and combined, and immediately add the white sugar to the pan, continuing to stir with a spatula until well combined.

1. Beat the eggs in a bowl with a whisk. Add the eggs and vanilla to the chocolate mixture and continue to stir until well combined. Gently stir in 1 cup flour and salt.

1. Toss the nuts and chocolate chips with the remaining tablespoon of flour to coat. Gently fold the nuts and chips into the brownie batter in the pan. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into bite-sized pieces.

1. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into bite-sized pieces.

1. Let cool completely before cutting into bite-sized pieces.

Remarks

For best results, be sure to bake the Levain Bakery Brownie Bites recipe in an 8″X8″ baking dish (not 9″x9″ or other size), otherwise your brownies might overcook.