- I'm a former pastry cook, and I think premade cookie dough makes a low-effort but delicious dessert.
- Switch things up by baking the dough in a cast-iron skillet or microwaving it in a mug.
- Adding extra chocolate, chopped nuts, coarse salt, or marshmallows can make cookies even better.
Even though I've spent time as a pastry cook, I still heavily rely on store-bought mixes in my own kitchen — and cookie dough is no exception.
Premade dough is already practically perfect, but if I'm in the mood to up the ante, I have a few hacks to take your cookies up a notch.
Use a cast-iron skillet for a fancy, but still low-effort, dessert
As a cast-iron enthusiast, I think just about everything tastes better cooked in a skillet.
Spread the dough in a single layer across the base of a buttered skillet and bake.
If you really want to go above and beyond, scoop vanilla ice cream on top of the cookie as soon as you take it out of the oven for an à la mode moment.
Adding extra chocolate never hurts
If you're really craving extra chocolate, chop up your favorite bar and knead it into the cookie dough.
It takes a bit of extra elbow grease, but it's worth it. Using chunks instead of chips will ensure that the chocolate melts and becomes extra gooey.
Sprinkling your cookies with coarse salt brings out the sweetness
When your cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle them with coarse salt while they're still warm.
If you're someone who prefers savory treats, this hack will help satisfy all your sweet and salty cravings.
I prefer Maldon, Bull's Bay smoked flake salt, or Jacobsen, but any coarse salt will do.
Chopped nuts can add a nice flavor and texture to the cookies
Similar to the extra-chocolate hack, chopping up a handful or two of your favorite nuts and kneading them into the dough adds richness and salt.
I prefer walnuts in my chocolate-chip cookies, but pistachios, cashews, and almonds are great mix-ins as well.
When you're looking for a quick treat, the microwave is your friend
When you need a cookie stat, popping the premade dough in the microwave is a great way to satisfy your craving quickly.
Just throw as much dough as you want into a mug, and microwave it for 30 seconds for a gooier cookie or a minute if you want it a bit more cake-like.
Try giving your cookies the s'mores treatment
When your cookies are nearly done, place a marshmallow on top of each one and put them back in the oven under the broiler.
Keep a close eye on the cookies — it only takes a couple of minutes for the marshmallows to be toasted to a perfect golden brown.