After Martha Stewart fired her, Chef Sarah Gormley invented this viral and PERFECT chocolate chip cookie recipe.
This post is all about how to make MSFM Chocolate Chip Cookies.
When life shuts a door, it opens a window, and that’s just what happened for Sarah Gormley when she received the boot from Martha Stewart. While she won’t go into why Stewart fired her, Gormley reveals that when she was unemployed, she made 38 different batches of these chocolate chip cookies.
“A tweak here, a tweak there. And then, the sea salt,” writes Gormley.
After trying this recipe, I believe three significant tweaks make this cookie recipe stand out. One is that it calls for three different types of sugars (white granulated, light brown sugar, and dark), two is the use of salted butter instead of unsalted, and three is a chilling time of 24 to 48 hours.
While the prep time for these cookies may be longer than most recipes, it’s well worth it. I wanted to bake some that same day, but I was patient and followed her recipe exactly.
They were tender and chewy, and the pinch of Maldon Sea Salt flakes on top was perfection. This will forever be my go-to chocolate chip cookies recipe, so thank you, Sarah!
Martha Stewart Fired Me Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- 2 Sticks Salted Butter, softened.
- 1/2 Cup White Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup (packed) Dark Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Cup (packed) Light Brown Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs, room temperature
- 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 Tsp (small to medium grain) sea salt for batter, more for topping (Gormley prefers Maldon, and I do too!)
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
- 2 1/4 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or Chunks. Gormley prefers chunks and suggests that they be chopped up a bit for texture. Use 1.5 12-oz bags for the chunks. It’s more than typically called for, and she says that is the key.
Equipment Needed:
- Oven
- Stand or Hand Mixer
- Refrigerator (for chilling the dough)
- Wire Cookie Racks (for cooling)
How To Make MSFM Chocolate Chip Cookies (per Sarah Gormley)
Step 1: Cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is nice and fluffy. (Approximately 3 minutes on medium-high speed.) This may seem like a long time, so keep an eye on the clock and continue.
Step 2: Add both eggs and the vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes. (Again, this may feel like a long time, so keep an eye on the clock.)
Step 3: Add the baking soda, baking powder, a little salt, and flour until the cookie batter is well combined. Finally, add the chocolate chips or chunks and mix until they are well distributed.
Step 4: Chill the dough for 24–48 hours for the best cookies ever. If you cannot chill the dough, they will still be amazing, I promise!
Step 5: When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 360 degrees F.
Step 6: The cookie batter will be somewhat thick and quite sticky, so use your hands to plop balls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I prefer dough balls that are slightly larger than a quarter (8 per sheet), but you can make whatever size you like; just be sure to adjust the baking time accordingly.
Step 7: Sprinkle some sea salt over them before they go in the oven.
Step 8: Bake for 10 minutes, until the edges are golden brown but the center is still light and puffy.
Step 9: Remove from heat, slam the pan down a few times to flatten out a bit (this helps keep them chewy in the middle and slamming the pan is fun!), do another sprinkle of sea salt, and allow the cookies to stay on the cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes.
Step 10: Transfer cookies to a room-temperature, nonporous surface to cool for at least 3–5 minutes before serving.
FAQs
Why Are Gormley’s Viral Chocolate Chip Cookies The Perfect Recipe?
I think it’s the use of salted butter, three different types of sugars, sea salt (preferably Maldon), and a chilling time of at least 24 hours. I also think she measured the perfect amount of chocolate chips (or chunks!).
Why Are Maldon Sea Salt Flakes The Best?
Gormley states in her recipe that she prefers Maldon sea salt flakes in her cookie dough and as a topper for the cookies. I have to concur because I purchased a box of Maldon sea salt a few months ago, and I’ve been using it as a finishing salt on everything (eggs, cookies, potatoes, steak, etc.). It’s DELICIOUS.
Martha Stewart Fired Me Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Oven
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Mixing Bowl
- Stand or Hand Mixer
- Refrigerator (for chilling the dough)
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment paper
- Wire Cookie Racks (for cooling)
Ingredients
Ingredients You'll Need:
- 2 Sticks Salted Butter, softened.
- 1/2 Cup White Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Packed Dark Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs, room temperature
- 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 Tsp Sea Salt for batter (You'll need more for topping each cookie, and Sarah prefers Maldon sea salt.)
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
- 2 1/4 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or Chunks. Gormley prefers chunks and suggests that they be chopped up a bit for texture. Use 1.5 12-oz bags for the chunks. It’s more than typically called for, and she says that is the key.
Instructions
How To Make MSFM Chocolate Chip Cookies, per Sarah Gormley
- Cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is nice and fluffy. (Approximately 3 minutes on medium-high speed.) This may seem like a long time, so keep an eye on the clock and continue.
- Add both eggs and the vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes. (Again, this may feel like a long time, so keep an eye on the clock.)
- Add the baking soda, baking powder, a little salt, and flour until the cookie batter is well combined. Finally, add the chocolate chips or chunks and mix until they are well distributed.
- Chill the dough for 24–48 hours for the best cookies ever. If you cannot chill the dough, they will still be amazing, I promise!
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 360 degrees F.
- The cookie batter will be somewhat thick and quite sticky, so use your hands to plop balls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I prefer dough balls that are slightly larger than a quarter (about 8 per sheet), but you can make them any size you like; just be sure to adjust the baking time accordingly.
- Sprinkle some sea salt over them before they go in the oven.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until the edges are golden brown but the center is still light and puffy.
- Remove from heat, slam the pan down a few times to flatten out a bit (this helps keep them chewy in the middle and slamming the pan is fun!), do another sprinkle of sea salt, and allow the cookies to stay on the cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes.
- Transfer cookies to a room-temperature, nonporous surface to cool for at least 3–5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Final Thoughts On MSFM Chocolate Chip Cookies
I’m telling you, Sarah Gormley has perfected this chocolate chip cookie recipe, and we have Martha Stewart to thank! While I’m sure Sarah wishes she didn’t have to experience being fired by our queen of the kitchen, surely she looks back now and laughs, considering all her culinary success! Check out her book, The Order of Things, available on Amazon.
Also, check out Career Girl Meets…KITCHEN cookbook available on Amazon. Share this recipe with friends and family, and comment below if you enjoyed the cookies. Follow Career Girl Meets… on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
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Rice Krispies Chocolate Chip Cookies
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