Why Christina Tosi Took The Chocolate Out Of Chocolate Chip Cookies
It's not a stretch to say Christina Tosi made a career out of the things of childhood dreams, but she's not all sugar and spice. Perhaps best known as the originator of Milk Bar, the game-changing New York City bakery she founded in partnership with Chef David Chang in 2008, Tosi is a fierce competitor. It's a trait she credits to her mother, a no-nonsense career accountant who refused to entertain excuses like "I can't" or "I'm bored," according to The New York Times.
Although she grew up surrounded by women who loved to bake — and even envisioned a career as a pastry chef — her parents were sticklers about education. Since she had a knack for numbers, Tosi decided to pursue a degree in applied mathematics, but reality came knocking after graduation (via Inc.). "I got a little freaked out, because I wanted to love what I do," she told Inc. "I didn't want a desk job; I knew I'd get bored." And boredom, if you recall, is not acceptable.
"I had to ask myself, what is that one thing I could do that's going to make me excited about waking up in the morning and that I'll never get sick of? Making cookies," she realized. We're not sure if that was the first time Tosi showed her independent streak, but we do know it's one of many rule-breaking decisions she's made on her way to building a baking empire, and her latest cookbook — all cookie recipes — is no exception.
Breaking standard cookie rules
Tosi's newest cookbook is all about cookies. Really. That's its name, "All About Cookies." The latest book by the rule-breaking bakery mogul — remember, she brought us cereal milk — features more than 100 cookie recipes, many of which were inspired by childhood baking escapades with her mother and aunts. "They're what I first learned how to make, as a kid," Tosi told Vogue. "They're the reason I love making dessert. They're also the format that, even off the clock, I go back to time and time again."
Milk Bar fans will likely recognize a few tried-and-true recipes in the mix, but according to Barnes & Noble, the collection also includes new twists on old classics in just about every category — crispies, sandies, sammies, chewies, bars, and no-bakes. Consider blueberry-and-corn bars or jelly donut cookie sandwiches. Along the way, Tosi also notes flavors and textures that complement one another, encouraging at-home cooks to experiment on their own. One of Tosi's biggest rule-breakers? Chipless Wonders.
According to Vogue, the chipless chocolate chip cookies stem from a childhood memory of baking alongside an aunt whose husband and children didn't like chocolate chips. Tosi said it was her first taste of rule-breaking. She was hooked. "A cookie, in my opinion, has infinite possibility to break the rules and breed creativity and really speak to someone's taste buds," she told CBS.