Giant Choco Chunkies

Bake #16 for 2025: Giant Choco Chunkies by Samantha Seneviratne

This recipe comes from Seneviratne's cookbook Bake Smart. The headnote says they are a recreation of a Levain Bakery recipe that she developed for Bon Appetit. The flavor combination of chocolate, tart cherries, cinnamon, and walnut really intrigued me.

Ingredients: (makes 10 giant cookies)

• 16 Tbsp (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into cubes
• 1 cup (200g) packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs (cold are fine)
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups (408g) all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1-1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1-3/4 cups (245g) good-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped (don’t use chips)
• 2 cups (186g) chopped walnuts
• 1 cup (145g) dried tart cherries

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl on medium speed, beat the cold butter and sugars until just creamy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as necessary; then, add the vanilla.
2. Next, add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, beating until all combined.
3. Fold in the chocolate, walnuts, and cherries.
4. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter and tip the dough onto it. Pat it into a rectangle about 2” thick, cover tightly with the plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least one hour and up to 48 hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Cut the dough into 10 equal portions. Roll each into a large ball. Arrange 4-5 portions onto the baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 14 min. If you press the centers, they should be soft but not wet.
6. Cool slightly on the sheet before removing to a cooling rack. Bake the remaining portions, one sheet at a time. Serve warm.

My notes:

• I didn’t quite have enough cherries because it was surprisingly hard to find dried tart cherries. The cookies definitely could have used more so don't skimp on the listed quantity. I ended up finding them in a bulk bin at a natural foods co-op. Most readily available cherries were sweet and had added sweetener, but it's worth it to find good tart ones.
• I’d add a little more salt next time, or sprinkle with flaky sea salt while they’re cooling. Perhaps just an extra 1/8 tsp if you're increasing the quantity.
• While I understand the novelty appeal of giant cookies, I don’t think it really adds much. Next time, I think I'll split the dough and try baking half at 350F instead but in a more normal/reasonable portion size.