One of the first times I ever flew solo in the kitchen was when I tried to make Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies around the age of 8 (emphasis on tried). I brought homemade cookies to my first ever professional job interview (I got the job, but not without some eye rolls). The first recipe I ever developed for New York Times Cooking was a cookie; the first NYT Cooking video I ever appeared in was about the famed $250 cookies. And, of course, I owe so much to Cookie Week and I love how connected it makes me feel to all of you.