I want to talk to you about cookies. Specifically, the best cookies I’ve ever had.
My wife works in hospitality, at a luxury spa company (I know, brag, right?) One of her coworkers is related to a fairly famous celebrity chef, which means that—on occasion—delicious treats come home to me. Sometimes these are lemony cookies that soothe the soul. Other times it’s a savory biscuit that washes away your tears. I’ve even had a spinach wrap that sopped up my ennui.
Around the holidays, my wife returned home with a small bag of cookies. I should clarify, the bag was comparatively small, but the cookies were huge. They were the size of dinner plates, and just laden down with chocolate. Even through the plastic you could see the care and quality of the bake. Then I saw the name on the bag:
Jacques Torres.
For those of you living in a bubble, Jacques Torres is a world-famous french pastry chef. You may recognize him as the co-host of Netflix’s “Nailed It.” He is a talented, dedicated baker and teacher. Apparently, he also makes one of the best cookies in the world.
Chocolate Chip Cookies are an American tradition. If you travel around the world (and you should, you uncultured swine) you will find that most countries don’t celebrate desserts in quite the same way. There’s less refined sugar, less chocolate, and a greater emphasis on unique fruity flavors. Watch literally any episode of the Great British Baking Show to see what I mean.
For me, the Chocolate Chip Cookie is perhaps the greatest dessert in existence. Yes Oreos are life-affirming and I eat them a sleeve at a time. Yes, cake is wonderful and truly caps a celebration. Yes, pie is magic and I don’t understand how it works and can I have some right now? But the triple C has everything I need in a sweet treat, and it almost impossibly to mess up.
However, as I learned recently, it is a difficult treat to master. Well, Jacques mastered it.
Now, some of you have read this far and are brimming with questions:
Adam, why are you spending so much time talking about cookies? Isn’t this a writing blog?
Adam, didn’t you do a whole thing on weight loss and taking care of your body?
Adam, are you eating one of those cookies RIGHT NOW?
Friends, I can’t answer all of those questions. Perhaps, as you are setting down to read, I am chin-deep in one of these decadent disks. Then again, I might be out on a run training for the Scotland Dramathon (it’s a marathon around Scotch Distilleries, so basically the only reason I have to ever be in shape).
I guess the biggest question is “Why?” Why am I spending an entire blog post on this particular cookie recipe?
Because life is short. Life is hard. Life is a never-ending shit sandwich and sometimes you are served two when you only ordered one and you’re not allowed to leave until you’ve cleaned the plate and by the way they are definitely charging you twice. Life needs its rewards, and these cookies are one.
So as you go into this weekend, take care. Treat each other kindly. Treat strangers kindly. Treat yourself kindly. And, if you want to (and are allowed to), go eat the fuck out of this cookie.
Best Cookies Ever