Struggling to keep up with the maddening pace of monthly publications, churning out new recipes at every turn, it’s easy to lose sight of once beloved dishes. With barely enough hours in a day to complete any assigned cooking ventures, cherished classics are slowly forgotten, sealed within the pages of cookbooks collecting dust. Sad to say, but unless it’s for a review, I never touch my cookbook shelf anymore. As much as I love each and every mouth-watering text, one can only bake so many cakes, or cook so many dinners, within a limited space of free time.

That’s why it’s the ultimate luxury not to visit a restaurant or bakery, but to to revisit those tried-and-true recipes from other equally prolific authors. Something as simple as a chocolate cookie can make my heart sing, if only for the comforting familiarity and good memories each bite brings. I could never claim to create the elusive “perfect” chocolate cookie for any magazine or cookbook, but thankfully, Isa’s fool-proof formula means that I never need to. For this rare recipe repeat, I chose to shake things up a bit, adding in dried cherries and taking the opportunity to try out some cherry extract. Just a splash provided the flavor boost I sought, effectively refreshing the golden standard as a unique treat- Proof positive that good recipes have no expiration date.