Description
“Sometimes I like to sit by a fire and curl up with a nice book, but most nights I prefer to stuff my face with tasty treats like the ones described in this cookbook. Grab this thing and go make some cinnamon buns!” —Aziz Ansari “I’ve been a bootleg member of the Milk Bar family for a while: Christina and I have gone to Hawaii and made malasadas together, and every time I’m in NYC I like to hang out in Brooklyn bothering everyone in the bakery. Christina is a leader not only in the kitchen but also in the way Milk Bar has shaped our recent culture—and lives. Kogi por Vida, Milk Bar for Life.” —Roy Choi “ Milk Bar Life is a charming, playful, and personal view into the prodigiously inventive world of Christina Tosi and her Milk Bar crew. The Ritz Cracker wizardry isxa0genius.” —Chad Robertson “Bake or just salivate over the addictive treats in Christina Tosi's Milk Bar Life .” — Cosmopolitan “There’s some sweet stuff...but the savory stuff is just what you'd expect from Tosi—silly, supermarket driven and delicious.” —TastingTable.com “Her new book is a collection of sweet and savory dishes Tosi likes to make and serve off the clock, and it's a reflection of her playful worldview.”— Glamour “This everyday cookbook establishes Tosi, chef and co-owner of Momofuku Milk Bar, as an exciting and original voice… Tosi continues to showcase her singular flavor combinations—there's unmistakable wow factor in miso butterscotch sauce and burnt honey butter served alongside kale with sesame seeds.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review “The book reads like an issue of Lucky Peach if it were under Tosi's direction: Think throwback icebox cake recipes, Milk Bar staff meals, recipes from her childhood, and late night munchies.”— Epicurious.com “Milk Bar Life by Christina Tosi is filled with simple, satisfying recipes for cooks who want flavor and fun with minimal fuss.”— Yahoo! Food Christina Tosi is the chef, owner, and founder of Milk Bar, sister bakery of the Momofuku restaurant group, with locations in New York City, Toronto, and soon Washington, D.C.xa0She is the 2012 recipient of the James Beard Rising Star Chef Award, the 2015 winner of the James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef Award, and is a judgexa0on Fox’s MasterChef and MasterChef Junior. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Introduction I’m not your average gal. I never wanted a pony, or to be a pretty princess when I was little. Instead, I dreamed of Cookies, Cookies, Cookies (working name), a bakery of my own that would leave me happily covered in flour and sugar, morning to midnight, and, if I played my cards right, an unconscionable amount of raw cookie dough. Chubby and sporting the finest bowl cut the local cuttery could trim, I would turn cardboard boxes into cash registers and bakery cases, practice making change with Monopoly money (you gotta know how to make the sale!), and concoct gluey batters and sprinkle-ridden doughs to feed to my stuffed animals (they were BIG fans). As I got a little older, my legs grew longer, and my dreams stretched too. I imagined a fun but simple place that brought people happiness and anchored their morning commute or evening stroll, a place where anyone could stop by, say hi, and eat cookies. And, by some stroke of insane luck, universes aligning, honest-to-goodness hard work, and practical kitchen experience, that’s exactly what happened. I opened Momofuku Milk Bar when I was twenty-seven, nearly six years ago. And in barely enough time to blink (and still not yet enough time to sleep) it has grown from one tiny bakery to a bigger thing than I ever imagined, all anchored by an 11,000-square-foot kitchen that sends cookies around the world and stocks six shops in New York where people stop by, say hi, and eat cookies. I can never quite put my finger on exactly how or why it all happened. All I remember is a onetime admission into the school of hard knocks, bakery edition. Dave Chang pushing me out of the nest and more or less tricking me into opening the first Milk Bar was also probably a big help too. Funny thing is, when asked just how I got to where I am, I know the answer is pretty simple: I. Have. No. Clue. When did it all begin? Shrugging my shoulders, I’ll tell you it’s always existed—I’ve always been working up to this moment. My entire life, all I have ever tried to do was to be me and stay me, Cookies, Cookies, Cookies and all. The Greta (Sugar Cookie Squares) Makes about 2 Dozen 2-inch Squares xa0 I was raised on these sugar cookie squares. My fondest memories of them involve receiving disposable 9 × 13-inch pans of them once a week (that’s 3.43 cookies a day) when I was away at college (and I didn’t have a kitchen of my own to bake in). What a mom! xa0 Even after I opened Milk Bar, my mom still sent me these sugar cookie squares, direct to the bakery. They became so legendary we called them “Greta cookies” or “the Greta,” because you can’t call a sugar cookie a sugar cookie in a bakery; it’s just too confusing. Also, the difference between a sugar cookie and a Greta sugar cookie square is huge. xa0 Their flavor is simple, but just as you think you’re about to be underwhelmed, wham! You’re hooked. Thanks, Greta. xa0 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan 2 cups sugar 2 large eggs 1/2 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup whole milk xa0 THE CINNAMON SUGAR 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon xa0 1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 × 13-inch baking pan. xa0 2. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream on high until homogenous, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. xa0 3. Add the flour, salt, and baking soda, mixing until just combined, aboutxa030 seconds. Mix in the milk until just combined, about 30 seconds. xa0 4. Spread the dough in an even layer in the prepared pan. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the cookie dough. xa0 5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes for a slightly underbaked cookie (which is how I like it), or for another 3 to 5 minutes if you’re a firm cookie fan. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares. For storage instructions, see page 47. Not a cinnamon sugar fan? Substitute any classic, radioactive, or themed sprinkle in its place to top the cookie slab just before baking. Read more
Features & Highlights
- Go off the clock with Christina Tosi of Momofuku Milk Bar as she bakes one-bowl treats, grills with skills, and embraces simple, nostalgic—and often savory—recipes made from supermarket ingredients.
- For anyone addicted to crack pie®, compost cookies®, and cake truffles, here are their savory counterparts—such as Kimcheezits with Blue Cheese Dip, Burnt Honey–Butter Kale with Sesame Seeds, and Choose Your Own Adventure Chorizo Burgers—along with enough make-at-home sweets to satisfy a cookie-a-day habit. Join Christina and friends as they cook their way through “weaknights,” sleepovers, and late-night snack attacks to make mind-blowingly delicious meals with whatever is in the pantry.
