Molly and Jeremy Bolton’s front stoop welcomes guests with a doormat that reads “Home Sweet Home.” That kind sentiment is enough to make anyone feel welcome, but once you open the door, it’s the delightful aroma of baked goods that makes you want to sit at the kitchen island and stay awhile.
Founder of The Nostalgic Crumb, she started baking as a way to revive memories of her childhood. A Dallas native, Molly says that baking was a regular activity with her mom and grandmother, affectionately known as JuJu. “Every time I bake JuJu’s poundcake, its scent takes me straight back to Amarillo,” Molly says, referring to her grandmother’s hometown.
“Whenever I’m at a loss for recipes, I just look in JuJu’s box. I’m such a sucker for a well-worn recipe card that’s faded and marked with batter.”
Those sweet memories turned into a passion when Molly found herself not just baking but also developing new recipes and ideas to blog and photograph. “At first, I tried selling my baked goods, but it got complicated because I’m a one-woman show and the orders were so varied. That’s when I shifted my focus,” she says.
With The Nostalgic Crumb, Molly has multiple goals—to develop recipes for brands, to provide content for publications, and to write a cookbook. She also hopes to open a teaching kitchen one day. Right now, Molly’s favorite people to cook for include husband Jeremy and her two children, Francie and Elliott. “My true passion is homemaking and loving my family, and I enjoy sharing that with others,” she says.
Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
With chewy, caramelized edges; soft centers; and loads of chocolate, this thick, bakery-style cookie leaves you wanting absolutely nothing!
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Total Time: 24 hours, 30 minutes (includes chill time)
Yield: 15–18 large cookies
226 grams (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
250 grams (11/4 cups) lightly packed light brown sugar
100 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
312 grams (21/2 cups) spooned and leveled all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
113 grams (4 ounces) high-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
165 grams (3/4 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter, brown sugar, and sugar, and beat on medium speed until combined and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Mix in egg and egg yolk, one at a time, making sure that the first is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, kosher salt, cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 2 additions, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in chopped chocolate and chocolate chips by hand.
- Tightly cover the dough, and chill in the fridge for at least one hour, preferably up to 24 hours (TIP: the longer you chill the dough, the more flavorful and golden the cookies will be!).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a #16 spring-loaded cookie scoop, scoop dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 to 4 inches apart.
- Bake for 14-17 minutes, preferably one cookie sheet at a time, until edges are golden brown and centers are set. Remove from the oven and allow to set on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
NOTE: I develop my recipes in grams because weighing your ingredients is the best, most accurate way to bake.
RESOURCES
Kitchen design, lamps, barstools, rug: River Brook Design & Construction • Instagram: @riverbrook__ Cabinet color: “Narragansett Green” (semi-gloss) by Benjamin Moore Hardware: Brandino Brass • Instagram: @brandinobrass Sconces and pendant: Visual Comfort through Mayer Lighting Art: Colleen Leach • Instagram: @_colleenleach.art
