This has been the year of the cookie, with cookies
taking the spotlight in everything from cookbooks
to internet viral recipes. Rebecca Firth, the blogger
behind DisplacedHousewife, has captained this cookie
renaissance with her cookbook, The Cookie Book:
Decadent Bites for Every Occasion (Page Street Publishing,
2018). From her Red Velvet Madeleines to cold
brew-infused cookies, Rebecca gives commonplace
cookies new life with “jazz hands”—unlocking
a cookie’s epic potential through unique fl avor
combinations and out-of-the-box techniques. She
draws inspiration from her time spent in China, as
seen in her fi ve-spice mooncakes, as well as fl avors
she’s craving in the moment. “There are so many
paths you can take when it comes to ingredients and
all these other elements that affect shape, texture,
and appearance,” Rebecca says. “The possibilities are
infi nite.” Here are three of her favorite ways to twirl
up the classic chocolate chip cookie:
MIX IN SOME MAGIC: You can dress up a chocolate
chip cookie with epic mix-ins. I love candy bar chunks, especially
caramel-fi lled candy bars, but I’ll go for dried fruit and nuts, too.
GIVE IT SOME SUGAR: Rolling the dough in sparkling or
granulated sugar is a great way to add instant jazz hands.
SANDWICH ’EM: Sandwich two cookies with buttercream—
my go-to is malted—or your favorite fl avor of ice cream for a
really decadent rendition.
The Cookie
Genius
REBECCA FIRTH
Cookbook Author and Food Blogger
Santa Ynez Valley, Californiadisplacedhousewife.com
Follow on Instagram: @displacedhousewife