Cookies & Bars

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

July 20, 2019 by mollygilbert520 4 Comments

Well hello there! I’ve decided to put less pressure on myself to write perfect posts, and just throw some things up here when I have time. Maybe that way it won’t be a whole YEAR before I post again?!

Cool!

A few things have changed around here since I made that Brown Sugar Cherry Pound Cake below. Mainly, I have two kids now! A Calder and a Jack. Little man Jack turns ONE next month, and I have so much to say about his first year (and what a wonderful whirlwind it’s been!), but for now let’s just focus on these cookies.

These cookies! They’re so good. Like, I made them once a week for four weeks good. I know the recipe by heart good. I’ll never not have some in my freezer good. Know what I mean?

Everyone has their own idea of what the perfect chocolate chip cookie should be, and these are definitely mine. They’re soft on the inside and chewy at the edges, gorgeously rippled on the surface and full of deep, nutty, caramel flavor within. Plus they’re pockmarked with puddles of pure chocolate, and do I need to keep describing these? Are you just going to make them already? No mixer required! No waiting for butter to soften! No “curing” dough in the fridge for 24-48 hours! You could be eating them in like 20 minutes. Go. Go now.

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Orange Chocolate Almond Biscotti

December 21, 2017 by mollygilbert520 Leave a Comment

When I was a kid, I don’t think you could have paid me to eat biscotti.

To kid-me, an oblong brick of a “cookie” filled to the brim with nuts and dried fruits (and any other non-chocolate addition) merited every last quotation around the word.

Give me chocolate chip! Give me snickerdoodle! Hell, give me a fig newton, but keep that biscotti away from me, will you?

Oh, how times change. I’ve lived, guys, and I’ve learned. It turns out that biscotti don’t have to be tooth-breakingly hard. They don’t have to contain aniseed, or any other flavors/spice you dislike.

Biscotti can be tender and crumbly and even worthy of the chocolate chip! And dunked in some coffee, tea, or a cold glass of milk? Ho ho ho, everybody. Merry almost-Christmas to me!

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White Chocolate & Peppermint Dipped Chocolate Roll-Outs

December 18, 2017 by mollygilbert520 Leave a Comment

More cookies! Because honestly, why not?

I’ve loved these Chocolate Roll-Out cookies since I discovered them (thanks, as always, Deb!) a few years ago. They’re soft and brownie-like, but in a rollable cookie form, which means fun shapes and glazes and toppings galore.

I should note that they’re also fantastic plain, without any of that kind of fanfare.

But it’s the season for fanfare! In the form of a smooth white chocolate dunk, and then a heavy sprinkle of crushed candy canes. It’s Christmas in a cookie – absolute perfection.

White Chocolate & Peppermint Dipped Chocolate Roll-Outs…

Cookie Swap

December 5, 2017 by mollygilbert520 2 Comments

Did you know that yesterday was National Cookie Day?

Yeah, neither did I, but Instagram is really good at reminding me of these things (although according to the official “day calendar,” today is National Sacher Torte day, and I don’t see that many people lighting up their feeds with sacher tortes, so… I’m just saying.)

In that light, I thought you might like a roundup of some of my favorite cookies for the holiday season:

Chocolate Candy Cane Crackles! Extra chocolate-y. Extra festive.

Classic Gingerbread Cookies – the most classic. Need I say more?

Chewy Gingerbread Chocolate Chunkers. For when you need chocolate and gingerbread in a single bite.

Salty Rosemary Toffee Crunch! Not technically a cookie, but so completely addicting I have a feeling you’ll let it slide.

Pistachio Shortbread Cookies! Buttery, nutty, crumbly, YUM.

Spicy Molasses & Brown Sugar Cookies! Crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle, and packed with deep, wintery, molasses/brown sugar flavor. These are a favorite of mine.

Dorie’s World Peace Cookies. Peace through chocolate sounds pretty good right about now.

It seems to me that, especially in December, every day is cookie day. So let’s get to baking, shall we?

Best Chewy Brownies

February 20, 2017 by mollygilbert520 7 Comments

I made these crackly-topped, perfectly textured (for me, that means damp and chewy, closer to fudgy than cakey… devastatingly handsome, ugh) beauties while the soundtrack to La La Land jumped and lilted around my kitchen. I basically made these brownies for Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, is what I’m saying. (Have you gotten a chance to see that movie yet? It’s a delight.)

Anyway, back to our scene: the Seattle sun peeked through the raindrops and the pop-flecked jazz filled the air, which became increasingly thick with the scent of melted butter and dark chocolate and, despite the baffling circus that is the political news cycle (you guys, WHAT IS HAPPENING), in that moment, all felt right with the world. And then we ate brownies.

As today is a holiday (albeit one of those weird ones that not everyone recognizes — sorry if you are, indeed, at the office), you might think about creating your own happy place, with music and brownies? It’s a start, at least.

Happy Monday!

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My Favorite Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

February 12, 2016 by mollygilbert520 4 Comments

Sugar cookies! I won’t lie – in general, they’re not my favorite. They always look cute, and are fun to make and decorate, but flavor-wise, I always thought we could do better. I mean, give me a choice between a fatty chocolate chip number and a perfectly iced sugar cookie, and there’s no mistaking which one I’m going to choose (the former, for the win every time).

There’s something inherently nostalgic about the sugar cookie, sure, but why are they always so bland? Or overly sweet, or pale and pasty and just kind of fake-tasting?

We can do better!

Here, I present to you: sugar cookie redemption. These are simple and just sweet enough, perfectly buttery, light and tender-crumbed – you’ll enjoy eating them as much as making them! And that is saying something.

So, yes, these are the “caramelized” version – let’s not go straight to “burned,” okay? (I mean, I can barely see my toes anymore, so give a girl a break…) But you’ll do better than I will, and might actually set a timer so you don’t get to chatting with your mom on the phone and completely forget about the COOKIES IN THE OVEN. So. That’ll be good.

And, if you’re celebrating Valentine’s day this weekend, these little guys are perfect for cutting into hearts and busting out the cute sprinkles (if that’s your thing), or maybe just, not? It doesn’t matter. Either way we have cookies.

My Favorite Cut-Out Sugar Cookies…

Chocolate Candy Cane Crackles

December 15, 2015 by mollygilbert520 12 Comments

Hi! It’s me. You know, the one who used to post lots of recipes up here? New ones, with photos and everything? Face full of cookie dough, and frizzy hair for days? YES, hi!

So. Maybe you’ve noticed I’ve been a little less forthcoming with the new content these past few months. (Or maybe you’ve been so dazzled by my “I Think Thursday” links that you haven’t noticed? That’s cool, too). Don’t worry, I haven’t been kidnapped by wolves or persuaded to join Scientology or even just trapped under something heavy. No, I’ve just been slightly… pregnant. With a baby. At least, as far as I can tell.

(Can I just take a small minute here to say “ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”?)

So, yeah. BABY! I’ve been trying to come up with a fun way to lay that news on you, but I’m not really one for cutesy baking metaphors/reveals (plus I’m a bit on the superstitious side), so there you go. Ben and I are over the moon excited and can’t wait to welcome our little nugget (whose gender will be a surprise) in early March!

Aside from not knowing how exactly to tell you guys and dealing with a bit of a rough pregnancy (it’s totally NOT all glow-y and guilt-free-doughnut-binge-y, I’m sad to say), I’ve been working my ever-growing tail off to hit some deadlines for upcoming projects and dealing with an upended, construction-zone kitchen these past few weeks so, suffice it to say, new recipe development has made a poor showing around these parts. But!

Today we have cookies, and that’s a good thing. They’re soft, chocolate-y, and crisp-crackled with sugar and candy canes. Bake them, share them, or just eat them standing over the sink while your growing baby bump gets in the way of EVERYTHING. Oh, that last part’s just me? Right. Cool.

Happy baking, my friends! xo.

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Brown Butter Citrus Madeleines

April 14, 2015 by mollygilbert520 3 Comments

What do you do on a bumpy plane ride?

I’ll tell you what I don’t do. I definitely don’t freak out. I do NOT insist on staring out the window while counting slowly to one hundred in my head. And by no means do I start listening to Will Smith songs because of the comfort that knowing 100% of the words to “Gettin’ Jiggy With It” brings.

That just doesn’t sound like me.

(But you gotta, Prada, bag with a lotta, stuff in it, give it to your friend let’s spin…)

#whateverittakes

I’m on my way to Philadelphia! To see my parents and do a little book promoting. I’m excited to chat up Sheet Pan Suppers and also tell everyone I come in contact with about the little veggie garden we planted in our backyard last weekend. Look at this!

It’s growing real, actual vegetables! Butter lettuce, spinach, sweet peas, onions and beets! Also some strawberries, raspberries and chives. I’ve never had my own garden before, but last year Ben and I managed to kill every single one of our apartment-sized potted plants, so here’s hoping things are on the up and up for us, green-thumb-wise.

But what am I saying? You guys are here for the cookies, no? Let’s talk about madeleines! I broke in my madeleine pan with these bad boys. (If you don’t have one, not to worry – you can bake these in a muffin tin instead – they won’t have the same shape, obviously, but they’ll be just as delicious.)

I loosely followed Daniel Boulud’s recipe, the one that was published in Bon Appetit a few months ago, and it seems the man knows his madeleines. These are infused with browned butter and orange zest, and they’re soft, cakey and just perfect with a cup of hot coffee or tea. Their one downfall is that they depreciate quickly, losing their light, fluffy texture after just one day at room temperature, but the good news? I found the solution.

…Now excuse me while I eat every single one.

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Cutest Macaroon Easter Nests

April 3, 2015 by mollygilbert520 3 Comments

I’ve been so preoccupied with dealing with all of the boxes in our house (the boxes, my god, the boxes! Let it be known that moving is just a lesson in setting up/breaking down boxes,) and lamenting the fact that, due to said boxes (and the chaotic state of our new home, in general), it doesn’t seem like I’ll be able to pull off a Seder for Passover this year, I almost forgot that it’s Easter weekend, too!

(#Jew…ish.)

My lovely in-laws are hosting Easter on Sunday and, because they know what’s what, they’ve put me in charge of dessert. I had big plans to make Deb’s raspberry macaroons and maybe even a flourless chocolate cake in a nod to the (begrudgingly neglected, by me) Passover holiday, but then I saw these little munchkins on Martha Stewart’s instagram and that was that.

I mean, HOW CUTE are these guys?

The facts: they only use 4 ingredients (plus a bit of chocolate and mini eggs, for decorating). They take less than 30 minutes to bake. They are a bonafide excuse to buy a big bag of miniature chocolate easter eggs.

So WHAT are you waiting for? Easter weekend baking project — begin!

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Giant Sprinkle Chip Cookies

January 20, 2015 by mollygilbert520 5 Comments

I don’t really know how to start this one. My grandma had a stroke over the weekend, and she’s not doing well. I’m on the west coast, and she’s back east. I miss her. I miss my family.

I had this cookie recipe ready and waiting to post this week… I don’t know if I can really write about them properly today, but the recipe feels appropriate, somehow. Gramma would like them, and I could use a cookie.

I made these big guys (they were photographed next to a batch of World Peace Cookies, for scale) a few weeks ago, and stashed them, pre-scooped and ready to bake, in a ziplock bag in my freezer. It was a good move. I plan to pull one (or two) out today, bake them until crisp and brown at the edges, and dunk them, still warm, in a huge glass of milk.

Or vodka. (It’s the Gramma way.)

Take a second and hug the people you love today. Call your mom. Celebrate the life around you. And maybe have a cookie – a giant one, with extra sprinkles.

Giant Sprinkle Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles

Directions:

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated, then add the vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and beat on low speed just until incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and sprinkles and mix gently to combine.

Use a 2-inch scoop (capacity is just about 1/4 cup) to portion the dough into balls and place them on the cookie sheet (no need to leave room between – we’re not baking yet, just chilling). Allow the portioned dough to rest on the sheet pan in the refrigerator until firm, then transfer the dough balls to a ziplock bag and let them age in the fridge for 12-48 hours (alternatively, you could just bake them off without aging).

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, with a rack in the center, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place no more than 6 cookie dough balls on the sheet pan, spacing them evenly apart, and bake for 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the cookies have spread out and developed golden brown edges.

Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough (I’ve found it’s best to just bake 1 sheet at a time).

Cookies will keep, well wrapped at room temperature, for about a week.

Makes roughly 25 cookies.