The Odd Cookie-And-Drink Combo That Was Giada De Laurentiis' Favorite Childhood Snack

It seems like every kid is guilty of loving odd flavor combinations that would make most adults turn up their nose: canned chili, for instance, interspersed with bites of peanut butter toast. It's strangely comforting to know famous chefs also ate quirky food combos as kids, like Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef Giada de Laurentiis. In an Instagram reel shared by Food Network, the Italian-American celebrity chef revealed that her favorite childhood snack involved dipping Milano cookies in lemonade.

It certainly wasn't the first time she shared odd, childhood favorites. De Laurentiis has been known to make breakfast cereal out of mini chocolate chip cookies, and she ate ricotta, sugar, and cocoa powder as a favorite childhood snack with her grandfather in Italy. She also has a recipe for an unusual, love-it-or-hate-it chocolate pasta made with Nutella. Dipping crisp, chocolatey Milano cookies in lemonade is mild by comparison. Considering her heritage, her love of sweet and sour lemon-heavy combos is no surprise. 

Rich, dark chocolate and tangy, bright lemon is an underrated dessert combination as the pair are an undeniable match. Lemon desserts are all the rage in Italy's Amalfi Coast, a spot well known for its huge, sweet "Sfusato Amalfitano" lemons grown on the picturesque terraced hillsides. Giada de Laurentiis was born in Rome and has a soft spot in her heart for the colorful, coastal town of Positano. Putting two and two together, it seems only natural the celebrity chef developed a fondness for pairing lemonade with the dark chocolate bite in Milano cookies.

For de Laurentiis, the childhood passion for lemon and dark chocolate hasn't waned. For example, she has a recipe for a lemon Bundt cake with chocolate glaze, candied lemon, and lemon zest. Lemon or orange zest is also what's missing from your chocolate chip cookies, elevating the classic treat with a punch of citrusy flavor and aroma. It just might become your new favorite recipe. Before we pooh-pooh odd childhood flavor combinations, perhaps we should take another taste. They may even be better than we remember.