FOMO Cookies + Podcast

There’s a trend on social media about FOMO cookies.  For those of you who don’t know, FOMO = the “Fear of Missing Out.”  Alison Roman’s Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies pretty much broke the internet.  Everyone was making them, which caused even more people to make them.  No one wanted to miss out on an awesome cookie!  —and not just food people—non-food people too.  These cookies have legit reached pop culture status. 

I’m not that keen on following trends. But, I was featured in a new podcast on Heritage Radio Network, Meat + 3.  You can listen to the premiere episode “Hitting a Snag” here.  It’s a jam-packed 15-minute episode, and I was featured alongside the author of this cookie recipe. There’s nothing I love more than a recipe with a personal connection, so I finally made these cookies this past weekend. 

Making these eggless, buttery cookies is certainly something any of us can do. But, it was a little more challenging that I thought it would be!  The forming the dough was pretty simple, but these cookies are rolled.  Not rolled with a rolling pin and cut into shapes, but rolled into a log.  You really gotta get in there and roll that dough into a log! And not a long, skinny one, which was tempting. Just a regular ole log whose thickness will dictate the diameter of the cookies.

Once I got the rolling done, I let them set in the refrigerator. I thought it would be smooth sailing after that. But, the next challenge came when it was time to slice the cookies. You slice the cookie dough from the log just like the Toll House tubes of cookie dough I’d buy growing up. The slicing proved challenging because of the big chunks of chocolate (It can be challenging to saw through chocolate). Also, as much as I love chocolate, I prefer a higher cookie to chocolate recipe than most. So, next time I’ll just use chocolate chips to avoid the issue of cutting through chocolate chunks.

And one note about baking: you probably want to under bake these cookies.  I baked them until they were lightly golden, and they lost that shortbread quality, and inched more into the butter cookie quality. (You know, those crispy little buttery cookies that came in tins at Christmastime back in the day.) But by under baking, they will have that nice, short crumbly texture that’s the hallmark of shortbread cookies.  Plus, the edges will be crispy due to the egg wash and demerara sugar.

These cookies were good, and were certainly different.  I realize I’m more of a chewy chocolate chip cookie kinda girl. I’m sure our chocolate chip cookie preferences vary as much as anything, but i’m glad I finally made them. There’s another FOMO cookie making its way around Instagram.. so stay tuned. I just have to make those too!

Here’s  what makes these cookies different: They are made with salted butter, and there are flakes of sea salt on top.  (This makes that perfect salty-sweet combo.)  They are rolled into a log, brushed with egg wash, rolled in demerara sugar, and then sliced.  (This makes the edges super crispy.) 

Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies

2 and 1/4 sticks salted butter (255g), cold, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (55g)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour (320g)
6 ounces dark chocolate, cut into chunks (I used less)
1 egg beaten
demerara sugar
flaky sea salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold butter, both sugars, and vanilla on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour.  Then, add the chocolate chunks and mix until just combined.  

Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into two equal parts.  Use your hands if needed to incorporate all of the flour by lightly kneading.  Place each half in a large piece of plastic wrap.  Fold the plastic over the dough so the dough is completely encased in the plastic wrap. Then, use your hands to roll the dough into a 6-inch log.  The diameter should be about 2 inches.  Chill until firm, about 2 hours in the refrigerator or 30 minutes in the freezer.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Remove the two logs and remove the plastic wrap.  Brush the outside of the logs with the beaten egg and roll them in the demerara sugar.  Use a serrated knife to slice each log into half inch thick rounds. If the cookies break, just mold them back together.  Place each slice on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. (These, like most shortbread cookies, don’t spread.)   Sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until the edges just start to brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Alison Roman’s NYTCooking Column