Cookie Crumbs

This weekend was a difficult weekend of not knowing exactly what role I ought to play in other people’s lives.   This can be a confusing and frustrating experience, especially when everyone wants a different type of involvement, level of involvement, and are likely to communicate this in different ways (or not at all).

So after a rather abrupt, but much needed, shake I came to the realization that if they aren’t asking for advise, help, or comfort…then they don’t need it bad enough.  My role is to be here, even if just a silent partner.  Eventually, if needed, they will come seek what I may have to offer…and they will be more likely to be grateful for it when it’s under their terms.

I can’t shove my caring down people’s throats, no matter how much I want too…but what I can shove down their throats are cookies!  So I made cookies…a lot of cookies.  :-)  Realizing how much I care will just come with time…

Chocolate Chip Cookies, with Pecans

1 cup butter, softened

½ cup white sugar

1 ½ cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

2 cups of chocolate chips

1 cup of chopped pecans

Cinnamon and Nutmeg to taste

 Start, as all cookie recipes, by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, cream together the butter and both kinds of sugar.  Beat in one egg at a time, and then add the vanilla extract.  Do yourself a favor and use real vanilla extract…please?

In another bowl combine the dry ingredients, including the cinnamon and nutmeg.  I enjoy spiced cookies, so I was generous with these two spices.

Okay, time to combine the two bowls.  The best cookies I’ve ever made come with patience…so instead of dumping all the dry ingredients into the wet at once, I do this in small batches.  It doesn’t matter if you do it in two, three, or four batches…just make sure that all the dry ingredients are combined before adding more.

Once everything is combined you can fold in the chocolate chips and pecans.  I used semi-sweet chocolate and whole pecans that I chopped myself.  You’re ready to bake.

Here is where I now provide a shout out to my wonderful Step-Mom for introducing me to the world of Pampered Chef Stoneware.  I once was lost and now am found!  So out came the stoneware and I started balling the cookie dough, placing about 5 on the stone at a time.  I patted them down a bit.  If you want GIANT cookies, go for a little smaller than a golf ball.

My oven baked these babies perfectly at 11 minutes, but yours might take a minute more or less.  Shoot for 9 to 12 minutes.  I love gooey cookies, so mine were perfect.  I let them rest a few minutes on the stoneware before transferring them to the cookie sheet.

Voila! Mum Made...