Alfajores: The South American Dulce de Leche Cookie That Became My Signature

Alfajores: The South American Dulce de Leche Cookie That Became My Signature

The first time I made alfajores dulce de leche cookies recipe from scratch was December 2018, during a snowstorm that knocked out our power for six hours. I had started the dough by candlelight, convinced I understood the recipe. What came out of the oven were sad, crumbly discs that crumbled into dust the moment … Read more

Whoopie Pies From Scratch: The New England Classic My Family Cannot Stop Requesting

Whoopie Pies From Scratch: The New England Classic My Family Cannot Stop Requesting

The first time I attempted a whoopie pies from scratch recipe, I was standing in my mother-in-law’s Vermont kitchen on a rainy October afternoon in 2018. She pulled out a handwritten index card — soft around the edges, smudged with cocoa — and handed it to me like she was passing along a family heirloom. … Read more

Cream-Filled Cookies: 6 Filling Recipes That Work With Any Cookie Base

Cream-Filled Cookies: 6 Filling Recipes That Work With Any Cookie Base

Cream-Filled Cookies: 6 Filling Recipes That Work With Any Cookie Base After 15 years of testing cookie recipes in my home kitchen, I’ve learned that cream-filled cookies occupy a completely different category than their decorated cousins. A beautifully piped royal-iced cookie is stunning to look at. But a cream-filled cookie? That’s an experience. It’s texture, … Read more

French Macarons at Home: The 47 Batches It Took Me to Get Them Right

French Macarons at Home: The 47 Batches It Took Me to Get Them Right

I still remember sitting on my kitchen floor in December 2018, surrounded by twelve cracked, lopsided, hollow shells that were supposed to be French macarons. I had followed every online tutorial I could find. My feet were wrong. My shells had craters. My filling oozed out sideways. That was batch number three, and I genuinely … Read more

Homemade Oreos That Taste Nothing Like Store-Bought Because They Are Actually Better

Homemade Oreos That Taste Nothing Like Store-Bought Because They Are Actually Better

The first time I made a homemade Oreo cookies recipe from scratch was the winter of 2018, right before the holidays. I had confidently promised my daughter Emma a “better than the blue package” cookie, and what came out of my oven that first evening was… not that. The cookies spread, tasted like sad chocolate … Read more