At the start of the year, I made a deal with myself: one new recipe every month. Nothing too rigid, nothing overly complicated, just a simple way to push myself to try new things in the kitchen. Now I’m eight months in, and honestly, this might be one of the most enjoyable “goals” I’ve ever stuck with.

For years, I was so focused on running my agency that I didn’t really cook or bake all that often. So in some ways, I feel like I’m still catching up. I joke with my husband that I only have about three years of “homemaker experience” and he’ll just have to be patient with me. But truthfully, I’ve been loving it, the trial and error, the little victories, and the random techniques that suddenly make you feel like you know what you’re doing.

For this month’s pick, I went big, literally, with Ina Garten’s Giant Crinkled Chocolate Chip Cookies. You can grab her original recipe here on the Barefoot Contessa website. 

An no, I’m certainly not striving to be the next Ina. One thing I’m sure of is that the kitchen is not my happy place.

Why These Cookies Felt Different

I’ve baked plenty of chocolate chip cookies in my life, but Ina Garten’s Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe was easily the most involved chocolate chippers I’ve ever made. Not during the mixing process, but as they baked, you didn’t just get to check out. And weirdly, I loved that about them — well, except the excessive sitting down and getting up over and over and over.

Ina’s instructions include a step where you pick up the cookie sheet during baking and gently drop it back down while in the oven. Yes, you read that right, drop it. I was hesitant at first, but I did it as part of the commitment, and I’m so glad I tried. It’s the kind of small, quirky technique I can file away and use in other recipes for years to come.

I also love that she just tells you to do it without over-explaining it away. There’s something about that kind of creative confidence that I really relate to and appreciate. 

That tiny step, the simple cookie sheet drop, is a stand-in that defines a key trait in my work philosophy. In my agency days, I pushed on offbeat ideas and got the side-eye more than once. Plenty of choices made people question me, yet trusting my gut and trying the thing anyway is what very often made the difference. 

You do not need permission. Step out and do what you believe is right, even if it seems unconventional. The revelations you find in the trying are what set you apart.

The Verdict

These cookies are gorgeous. Big, golden, and wrinkly, they look like they belong in a bakery window. Taste-wise, I liked them, but they were a touch crunchier than I personally prefer. Next time, I’ll probably bake them two to four minutes less to see if that softens them up.

What’s Next

Making these got me thinking. Maybe next year I’ll do an entire Chocolate Chip Cookie Project, one different recipe every month until I discover what truly is the best chocolate chip cookie on earth. I mean, if you’re going to do research, it might as well be delicious.

If you want to try Ina’s version, you can find the full recipe right here. Just be ready to pick up that baking sheet and give it a little drop, it’s part of the magic. 

Find more simple recipes in my journal.

Click Here for Ina Garten’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (Giant + Crinkled)