Photo: Target.com
Milk Bar cookie mixes are a godsend for anyone wanting to make Christina Tosi’s cookies, but who doesn’t love recipes-within-a-recipe recipes. If you’re not familiar with the James Beard awarding-winning Tosi and her genius, delightfully wacky baked goods, cookbooks, and Milk Bar empire, here’s an example:
Tosi’s Banana Layer Cake requires five components. Should you not have access to feuilletine or hazelnut brittle, though, you might have to make that, too. And, should you also forget your supermarket doesn’t carry hazelnut paste, banana extract, or gianduja chocolate… you’re going to have mail order those before doing anything. Plus, you need four ripe bananas—and we’re talking rrrrripe. So, you should give yourself a week or more to let those babies turn black.
However, once you intricately layer the banana cake, chocolate hazelnut ganache (which requires you also make fudge sauce), hazelnut crunch, banana cream, and hazelnut frosting in a six-inch cake ring lined with acetate strips, let the cake freeze for 12 hours, and then let it defrost for three hours, you’ll have something’s that’s part art and part cake.
Photo: Getty Images
This is to say, Tosi’s recipes aren’t something you can just throw together. Luckily, Milk Bar’s cookie mixes, available now at Target, are both whimsy and whim-worthy. They require nothing more than what’s in the box, butter, and an egg (except for the Compost Cookie—more on that below). We baked each of the cookies—and then, of course, ate them all. It’s worth noting that they took slightly longer to bake than the box recommended, however most ovens err on the side of hot or cold so keep an eye on your cookies accordingly. Here’s the cookie rundown:
Photo: Target.com
Price: $4.99
Description (according to the box): “Sugar cookie with rainbow sprinkles.”
What you need to add: 1 stick of unsalted butter and 1 large egg
Yields: 12 [large] cookies
Pros: Tasters found this cookie tasted like those available at Milk Bar, but baked more and offering a crispier, “homemade twist.”
Cons: This cookie is S-W-E-E-T and could be too sugary for some. Of course, some of us might call that a “Tosi signature,” rather than a “con.”
Price: $4.99
Description: “Chocolate chip cookie with butterscotch, oats, and coffee. Complete this playful sweet and salty cookie with your own favorite potato chips and pretzels.”
What you need to add: 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 1 large egg, 1 cup potato chips, ½ cup mini pretzels
Yield: 12 [large] cookies
Pros: Coffee and butterscotch are predominant flavors here. So, if you like those, you’ll like this cookie. This was a crowd favorite among the majority of tasters.
Cons: Conversely, some tasters found it to have “too much coffee” and an off-putting crispiness from the potato chips and pretzels. Also, having to supply the potato chips and pretzels is a little irksome given the small amount called for.
Cornflake-Chocolate-Chip-Marshmallow Cookie
Price: $4.99
Description: “Chocolate chip cookie with cornflakes and gooey marshmallows.”
Yields: 12 [large] cookies
What you need to add: 1 stick of unsalted butter and 1 large egg
Pros: This cookie is reminescent of a Rice Krispies Treat. The marshmallows add a nice chewiness (and caramelize a little) to the otherwise crisp cookie texture. The box includes the cornflakes, which you just have to toast a little, saving you money and effort on the ingredient front.
Cons: If you like a classic cookie, this one is anything but.
Conclusion: Are these better than making Milk Bar cookies from scratch? No. But, are they delicious, easy, and worth making if you want Milk Bar cookies without any hassle? Yes, yes, and… yes.
