I Tested the Viral "Martha Stewart Fired Me" Cookies: Are They Really Worth It?

What’s in a recipe What’s required at the bare minimum is that it tells you a story. Occasionally, this narrative can be as straightforward as enumerating the primary components (or as intricate, like “ zesty garlic miso chili paste hazelnut-browned potato dumplings However, we would contend that an appealing title can significantly enhance the intrigue of any recipe.

Take kor.news’s own Marry Me Chicken For instance, it doesn’t require much persuasion to make a smooth, sun-dried tomato sauce seem appetizing—the title itself holds a particular allure. ring It applies equally to a specific cookie recipe circulating online.

The recipe everyone is buzzing about these days is the "Martha Stewart Fired Me" Cookies. That's correct. In her newly published memoir, The Order of Things , gallerist Sarah Gormley features her recipe for chocolate chip cookies that she refined after being let go by lifestyle guru Martha Stewart .

"I can't share the entire tale of being let go, because, you know, we all have affection for Martha, right? We do," said Gormley. writes You simply have to understand that between when she dismissed me and when I secured my next significant position, I engaged in specific activities.

While juggling requests for martinis and attending barre workouts, Gormley spent time baking. a lot Of cookies. It required thirty-eight (!) batches to discover the ideal recipe. If the enthusiastic feedback is anything to go by, the Martha Stewart Fired Me (or MSFM) cookies are quite exceptional.

I was curious about all the excitement, so I chose to prepare some myself. To establish a proper benchmark, I compared the MSFM cookies with our very own chocolate chip cookie recipe From Senior Food Editor Makinze Gore, here are my candid opinions.

Let's start with the details. This particular recipe calls for an impressive trio of sugars: you'll be using granulated sugar along with both varieties of brown sugar. Mixing regular and light brown sugar is common in great chocolate chip cookie recipes, yet incorporating dark brown sugar as well adds extra complexity. While this might seem finicky, I'm prepared to overlook it if the final result justifies all these steps.

A significant component of Gormley’s technique involves incorporating salted butter. technically The best approach when using unsalted butter is to manage your seasonings effectively. However, being a fan of desserts with an emphasis on salt, I found this particularly exciting. Instead of incorporating additional kosher salt into the dough, Gormley suggests using a lesser quantity of coarse sea salt—another brilliant concept in my view. Given that the butter provides a consistent salty foundation, these chunky crystals offer bursts of taste and texture throughout each bite.

Honesty compels me to say that mixing up the dough requires more effort than I'd like for making cookies. According to Gormley, we should blend the butter and sugar for a full three minutes before continuing with the addition of eggs and vanilla extract for several more minutes.

During this extended mixing process, a significant amount of air gets incorporated into the dough, resulting in a light and airy consistency. This stage is particularly important when making cakes. However, cookies often require a denser texture where excess air is not desirable. In our recipe, we choose to use melted butter to attain a rich, nearly fudge-like quality instead.

After you finish blending your MSFM cookie batter, you could Bake it immediately. However, Gormley highly suggests refrigerating your dough for 24 to 48 hours. Kor.Newsis similarly advocates for this practice as it enhances both the texture and richness of the flavor.

A distinctive element of Gormley’s method involves slamming the baking tray against the countertop once the cookies have been removed from the oven. This approach aids in forming appealing crinkles on top and achieving a wonderfully chewy middle—something we greatly enjoy.

Following several hours of patient waiting, I ended up with two distinct batches of cookies to sample. After conducting an extensive tasting session, I can confidently say that each recipe stands out for its own unique merits.

The MSFM cookies perfectly blend a crunchy outer layer with a soft interior. The additional molasses from the dark brown sugar significantly contributes to their chewiness. They are generously packed with chocolate chips. (For your reference, there's actually more chocolate than flour or sugar in this recipe.)

Our recipe boasts an equally robust flavor profile with crisp edges. However, unlike a chewy, somewhat cake-like core, the inside is delightfully soft and delicate, exuding a pronounced richness from the butter. The secret lies in using melted butter; since we avoid incorporating air into the mixture, these cookies achieve a satisfying density without being heavy. Plus, this approach appeals to those who prefer not to exert too much effort: you won’t need to dedicate time to creaming the butter extensively as required by many recipes.

I might be sliiiightly While I may be biased, kor.news’s chocolate chip cookie recipe remains my top choice. However, this does not diminish how tasty Gormley’s Martha Stewart Fired Me Cookies are. It’s hard to ignore their advantage when considering the appealing names they have.