What Fay is Loving: Magnolia Table Cookbook

The legend of the chocolate chip cookies is real! If you've heard rumors about the delicious chocolate chip cookies from Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Table cookbook, believe them.

I received this cookbook about a year ago as a gift from my mom. At the time, I flipped through it, and settled on the buttermilk biscuits as my first test. I'd seen the episode where Chip and Joanna renovated what is now Magnolia Table restaurant, and I remembered those biscuits. I made a batch, and we were blown away. They were easy, fun to make with kids and absolutely delicious. Reheated with some eggs and cheese, they made great breakfast sandwiches for several days to follow. I made them again at Thanksgiving, and despite some surprise about biscuits with turkey dinner, they all disappeared quickly!

Fast forward six months, and we were spending lots of time at home due to COVID-19. Cooking quickly became a fun evening activity for the kids and me (and much appreciated by my husband). One night, we found ourselves watching the "In the Kitchen with Joanna Gaines" cooking special, and my cookie-loving husband asked if the recipe she was using was in my book. While most of what she demonstrated was from her new cookbook, Magnolia Table Volume 2, the chocolate chip cookies were in the book sitting on our end table.

So, the next day, I had some of the ingredients delivered, and whipped up a batch of these cookies. To provide some context, for 15 years I've made the same chocolate chip cookie recipe given to me by a coworker. It has two sticks of butter and a lot of sugar, and it is delicious. So, I was skeptical at the unusual characteristics of this particular recipe--far less butter, and only brown sugar. However, it did not disappoint! The cookies were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and the salt and brown sugar gave them some amazing flavor.

In the days that followed, we made the BLT sandwiches with the Easy Herb Mayo, and the Lemon Pie. I recommend them all.

What I've enjoyed most about this cookbook is its simplicity. I can prepare the recipes with my children, and the ingredients are easy to find. The stories and photos in the cookbook are fun, and it looks lovely as a coffee table book in the family room. I'm looking forward to trying out a few more, and then purchasing the next edition.

Do you have a favorite recipe from Joanna Gaines? Please send it my way, and I'll post photos on Instagram @andshewrites2 when I try it!