I Tried the Viral Recipe for 'Martha-Stewart-Fired-Me Cookies' and I'll Be Making It Again

It's easy to love chocolate chip cookies. As a college student learning to cook and bake all for herself for the first time, a chocolate chip cookie is my go-to when I want to satisfy my sweet tooth.

When it comes to finding the perfect recipe, things can get a little more complicated. Do you like chewy cookies or crispy? What about the type of chocolate? There are so many recipes out there that promise to be the very best, including the internet's latest recipe obsession: Martha-Stewart-Fired-Me Cookies.

I first came across the recipe on social media and was immediately intrigued by the playful name. Since you don’t need to ask me twice to try a new cookie, I took a break from exams to see if these cookies live up to the hype.

What Are Martha-Stewart-Fired Me Cookies? 

Gallerist Sarah Gormley recently published a memoir called "The Order of Things," which includes a recipe she claims to have developed in the aftermath of getting fired by Martha Stewart. With more time on her hands, she tested out 38 different cookie recipes to find the perfect one. This recipe is the one she landed on, which has since gone viral on social media.

After seeing Gormley's post about the cookies on Instagram, I knew I had to try the recipe for myself. If the cookies in her video didn’t look delicious enough, the comments on her post were enough to convince me.

“They are, without question, THE best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had,” one fan commented on the post. “I’ve made these cookies twice this month!” said another.

Inspired by these very enthusiastic comments, I got out my mixing bowl and prepared to try what might be the best chocolate chip cookies of my life. 

My Honest Review of Martha-Stewart-Fired-Me Cookies 

One of the first things I noticed about this recipe is that it is pretty time-intensive for a cookie recipe. Gormley recommends letting the dough chill for 24 to 48 hours before baking to allow the flavors to meld together.

Of course, sometimes you don’t have the patience to wait two days once that cookie craving hits! Luckily, you don’t have to chill these cookies if you want to eat them immediately. The downside is that your cookies might be a little less flavorful.

According to a commenter on Gormley's Instagram post, who followed the recipe to a tee—including a 48-hour chill time—this "was a huge exercise in restraint!" but "they are, without question, THE best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had! Thank you so much for this." So, if you want to enjoy this recipe in its fullness, I'd suggest letting it chill.

As far as cookie textures go, I really enjoyed how this recipe turned out. Sometimes, it feels like all chocolate chip cookie recipes are pretty much the same, but I did notice a difference with this one. It's fluffy and chewy in every bite.

Two aspects of this recipe stood out to me as unique. The first is that this recipe calls for three different types of sugar: granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and dark brown sugar. As a college student who usually has brown sugar and white sugar stocked at the same time, I'd normally go for a recipe that calls for two types of sugar, max. This time around, I luckily had all the ingredients for the recipe in my pantry, so I didn't need to make any extra runs to the grocery store.

Another interesting aspect of this recipe is that Gormley calls for salted butter and flaky sea salt to finish the cookies. This created a very well-rounded flavor profile that complemented the sweetness wonderfully.

Overall, I found myself with a solid, classic chocolate chip cookie on my hands. The texture of the cookies is definitely the best part, but I feel like there are recipes out there with a richer flavor. This recipe was delicious nonetheless, and it makes a lot of dough, so it's a great recipe to whip together and keep some stowed away for future snacking. In fact, I froze half of the cookie dough and now have 16 cookies ready to be baked on a rainy day.

If I were Martha Stewart, I’d happily rehire Gormley just to enjoy some of these delicious cookies. But if Gormley hadn’t gotten fired in the first place, we wouldn’t have this recipe, so I have to say I’m pretty thankful this is where we ended up.