This week, Gilt Taste is pleased as cranberry punch to be hanging out with Christina Tosi and the Momofuku Milk Bar team. Each day, Christina or one of her pastry sous chefs will share some of their dearest family cookie recipes. Have fun sugar-buzzing through the holidays!- Ed.
Gooey Butter Cake Bars
Makes 64 1-inch cookies
This recipe was passed down from Grandma Rosemary, to Greta Tosi-Miller, to Christina Tosi. It’s insanely sweet and tender—an intense two-biter— with a nostalgic perfume and a sticky topping that reminds us quite happily of Tosi’s famous Crack Pie. Greta, she with the unstoppable Christmas spirit, still ships it to Christina during the holidays, slightly under-baked the way her daughter likes it, so that it slides across the baking pan into one gorgeous, vanilla-scented lump by the time it arrives.
For the base
1 pound yellow cake mix (usually one box)
4 ounces butter, melted
1 egg
For the gooey butter topping
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make the base by mixing together the dry cake mix, butter and 1 egg. Pat it into a parchment-lined 8-by-8-inch pan.
- Make the gooey butter topping by creaming together the cream cheese, remaining 2 eggs, sugar and vanilla. Pour it over the base cake mixture, spreading all the way to the edges. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges are a light golden brown, and the center still tender, but cooked.
- Allow to cool completely in pan. Turn out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch-squares. If it’s important to you that it’s cut nice and evenly, just pop in the freezer until firm, cut while cold, and transfer to mini-muffin papers.
Photos by Tejal Rao
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