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
Margaret Chen · June 28, 2026
The first time I made a proper Mexican polvorones recipe crumbly cookies version worthy of the name, I was standing in my kitchen at 11 p.m. on a Tuesday, covered in powdered sugar, laughing at myself. I had just attempted my 23rd batch in six weeks. Batches one through twenty-two had been either too dense, … Read more
Margaret Chen · June 27, 2026
I had been chasing the perfect authentic Italian biscotti recipe homemade for nearly a decade before my neighbor Rosa finally sat down at my kitchen table and handed me a handwritten card. No measurements in cups — just “quanto basta,” meaning “as much as needed.” It took me another six months of obsessive testing to … Read more
Margaret Chen · June 5, 2026
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links at no additional cost to you. All recommendations are genuine products I use and trust in my kitchen. Korean Cookies: The Recipes I Found After Falling Down a Very Delicious Rabbit Hole What I bake with: The … Read more
Margaret Chen · June 2, 2026
Chinese almond cookies are a beloved staple at dim sum restaurants and family celebrations across Asia and beyond. But what makes them so special? After 30 batches of experimenting, tweaking, and occasionally throwing my hands up in frustration, I’ve discovered that the magic lies in understanding their history, appreciating their symbolism, and mastering the surprisingly … Read more
Margaret Chen · May 29, 2026
National Cookies of the World: The Most Iconic Cookie From 20 Countries (I’ve Made Them All) What I bake with: The reference that let me verify which cookie versions are actually historical — The International Cookie Cookbook on Amazon → After 15 years of testing cookies from nearly every corner of the globe, I’ve come … Read more
Margaret Chen · May 28, 2026
Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. We earn a small commission when you purchase through these links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Cookie Diaries. Orange Cookies: 5 Internationally-Inspired Recipes You Won’t Find in a Standard Roundup What I bake with: The extract that actually flavors cookies without wrecking … Read more
Margaret Chen · May 26, 2026
The Bakery Cookie That Changed Everything It was a Tuesday afternoon in Mumbai, 2019, when I first bit into these golden, crumbly little rounds at a neighborhood bakery near my hotel. The texture was nothing like the soft, cakey American coconut cookies I’d been baking for years. These were crispy, almost sandy, with a delicate … Read more
Margaret Chen · May 25, 2026
I still remember the exact moment I fell in love with Moroccan orange cookies. It was a Tuesday afternoon in my kitchen—the kind of day when I’d been testing three different shortbread recipes and felt frankly exhausted by butter and sugar. A friend had just returned from Marrakech and handed me a small paper bag … Read more
Margaret Chen · April 11, 2026
I still remember the moment I realized I had been making butter cookies wrong for nearly a decade. It was February 2018, and I was standing in my kitchen staring at a batch of flat, greasy discs that were supposed to be French sablés. I had followed a recipe to the letter — or so … Read more
