Levi woke up a few mornings ago and the first thing he said to me was, “I really want you to make chocolate chip cookies”. I asked him what kind, what did he want in them, did he want them cakey or chewy? He looked at me as if I was speaking a foreign language. And then he looked at me and said, “just a plain and simple chocolate chip cookie – and mom, fill up the cookie jar with them!”.
I think he is tired of the hoopla surrounding my baking endeavors. He wants the basic. And after thinking about it for a bit, I understand how we all crave just the basics from time to time. I enjoy(and miss) a lazy Sunday morning, under the covers with a good book, I am happy on the couch, sharing an episode of Friday Night Lights with Eli (our obsession), a walk with the family to the neigborhood bagel shop, or simply building a puzzle with Levi, a.k.a “the puzzle king”.
I promised him that he and I would bake together. When he got home from school the other day, I had all the ingredients measured out and waiting for him. He took off his shoes, put his jacket away and we got down to business.
I let him turn on the mixer, crack the eggs, use the spatula – and our simple, basic little time together is really all a mommy and a child need to feel reconnected. Life gets in the way sometimes. The constant running here, there, and everywhere makes all of us crazy and the chaos interferes with all the good stuff that surrounds our family.
As I sit here, with my three boys, sharing hot out of the oven, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and a tall glass of milk, I say to you…take those few moments, slow it down and just BE! Be with yourself, be with your kids, be with your partner, just BE!
Quintessentail Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Desserts by the Yard
Yield: 40 cookies
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large organic egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 oz good bittersweet chocolate, chopped into pieces
Instructions:
Sift flour and baking soda together and set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream teh butter until creamy. Add the sugars and the salt and blend well. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Add the egg and the vanilla extract.
Add the flour mixture on low speed and mix well. Add the chocolate and mix thoroughly.
Using a 1 tablespoon scooper, make balls using all the dough. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rest in the fridge over night.
Preheat oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Place cookies on sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake, rotating sheets back to front, top to bottom, 12-15 minutes. Let cool on wire racks. Enjoy!
Susan Salzman writes The Urban Baker blog to explore her dedication to good food in the hope of adding beauty to the lives of her family and friends.