Margaret Chen · August 14, 2026
I have a confession to make. After fifteen years of developing and testing cookie recipes—after publishing dozens of variations, twists, and deep dives into cookie science on this site—I realized something embarrassing last month: I have never, not once, posted a classic ginger molasses cookie recipe. Not a classic version. Not a creative riff. Not … Read more
Margaret Chen · August 6, 2026
My grandmother’s peanut butter cookie recipe lives on a stained, dog-eared index card in a plastic recipe box—the same one she’s kept since 1978. The handwriting is hers: crisp, practical, unadorned. Butter. Peanut butter. Sugar. Brown sugar. Egg. Vanilla. Flour. Baking soda. Salt. Fourteen words of ingredients, and a set of instructions so spare they … Read more
Margaret Chen · August 6, 2026
If you’ve read my recipe for bakery-style oatmeal cookies without raisins, you already know I developed that one specifically for the raisin-haters in my life—and there are more of them than I expected. I stand by that recipe completely. It’s been tested dozens of times, and it delivers exactly what it promises: a chewy, buttery … Read more
Margaret Chen · August 3, 2026
I’ve published dozens of sugar cookie recipes on this site—from my Moroccan orange-zest ghriba to my cream-cheese-stuffed pillows—yet I realized I never wrote down the one dough I return to most often. That feels like a strange gap. For fifteen years, I’ve been testing cookie recipes in my home kitchen, and this classic sugar cookie … Read more
Margaret Chen · August 3, 2026
I’ve spent the last fifteen years developing cookie recipes, and I’ve published dozens of them on this site. Brown butter chocolate chip. Vegan chocolate chip. Gluten-free chocolate chip. Matcha white chocolate. Nutella-stuffed. Each one has its moment, its reason to exist. But every single week, readers ask me the same question: “Where is your classic … Read more
Margaret Chen · July 15, 2026
I learned my lesson about cookie gift boxes the hard way—during the first holiday season I decided to give them as gifts. Twelve years ago, I spent an entire weekend baking six different varieties of chocolate chip cookies. My thinking was simple: people love chocolate chip cookies, so variety within that category seemed like the … Read more
Margaret Chen · July 15, 2026
I get asked this question at least twice a week: “Margaret, does browning butter actually make cookies better, or is it just hype?” After fifteen years of recipe testing, I can tell you the answer isn’t a simple yes or no. Brown butter does something real and measurable to cookie flavor and texture. However, it … Read more
Margaret Chen · July 13, 2026
Introduction to Regional American Holiday Cookies The enchanting aroma of holiday baking, while a universal sign of the season, takes on a distinctly regional character as you traverse the diverse culinary landscape of the United States. Beyond the universally loved sugar cookies and gingerbread men, many states proudly feature signature holiday cookies that tell a story of their unique … Read more
Margaret Chen · July 10, 2026
I have a confession. After fifteen years of baking and recipe testing, I’ve noticed something that nobody wants to say out loud: a lot of people really don’t like raisins in their oatmeal cookies. It started small. A friend would hand one back to me with a sheepish smile and say, “Could you maybe make … Read more
Margaret Chen · July 10, 2026
Every week, someone emails me asking if my Moroccan orange blossom fekkas recipe is the same as a “Moroccan sugar cookie.” The answer is no—not even close. I understood the confusion at first, but after 15 years of testing and baking, I’ve learned that these are two entirely different cookies with completely different textures, techniques, … Read more
