Use Your Microwave To Make A Freshly Baked Cookie Anytime

In the early 1980s, microwaves became a common household appliance in the United States and ushered in a brave new era of home cooking. The convenience that the microwave offers home cooks still impacts the national diet today and while microwaves are commonly associated with reheating leftovers or TV dinners, the faithful appliance can be used for so much more.

Microwave ovens use electromagnetic waves to vibrate water molecules in food, producing friction which results in heat. Since this was discovered in the 1940s by a radar engineer whose chocolate bar melted in his pocket while he worked with electromagnetic signals, cooks have found many ways to cut corners while cooking and save time using the device. Microwaves can be used to warm up quick snacks or for cooking main meals like Stephen King's microwave salmon dish or cheesy baked potatoes.

Despite the microwave's versatility, most people don't think about using the appliance for baking — and yet, microwaves are perfectly capable of making quick and easy cookies. There are a few important differences with microwave cookies as opposed to oven-baked but, if done right, they come out just as soft and gooey.

Microwave cookies have many of the same steps and ingredients as regular, oven-baked cookies. However, they take less time to cook and are made on a smaller scale. Microwaves are best for making one cookie at a time and are ideal when you fancy a personal, on-demand treat.

Make your batter by mixing melted butter, sugar, and a splash of milk instead of eggs. Microwaving eggs can cause them to become tough and rubbery, which is the last consistency you want in a cookie. Mix some flour, baking soda, and salt into your batter — if you're making a chocolate chip cookie, this is also when to add the chocolate — and form your cookie shape on a piece of parchment paper.

Put the paper and dough in the microwave for one minute on high. The cookie will be hot and extremely soft when ready. Set it aside to cool for five minutes. The end result should be a perfect, pillowy cookie that tastes oven-fresh.