With the
holiday season in full swing, it's that time of year for cookie baking in the
Cokenour home. Making up to, at least,
16 dozen, they’re usually placed on holiday themed plates, wrapped in colored
plastic wrap and distributed out for pure enjoyment. Surprisingly, some folks voice negative
opinions on this little holiday tradition of mine, “Why are you wasting time,
money and groceries? They don’t
appreciate you or your cookies!” That
may well be, but I do it mainly to follow the true meaning of the holiday
spirit, and that is what matters most.
It’s the giving and seeing the smiles on faces that matters; the not
caring if there is a price tag attached, or which big name store it all came
from. Many folks understand where I’m
coming from on this, we grew up during the age of “giving, sharing,
togetherness, homemade is from the heart”.
Now to flip
the coin from happiness to sadness, since the holiday season is also known as
the saddest time for many. Death and
grieving for the loss of loved ones, loneliness, broken and abusive home lives;
it all exists, not just in large cities, but in the smallest of burbs. The suicide rate increases as a person sees
no way out of his/her situation. Sadness
is emotional pain associated with, or characterized by feelings of
disadvantage, loss, despair, helplessness and sorrow. Clinical Depression is a
mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration
interfere with everyday life for weeks or longer. Here are the typical
definitions for sadness and depression; while sadness can grow into depression,
it is usually more easily dealt with. Currently
I'm in an extremely sad place, but my cooking, photography and writing help
ease the pain...I can deal. For others
though, the pain of their sadness is so intense, they need a professional; no
matter what, help them get the help they need.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
or call 1-800-273-8255.
Swinging
back to a lighter note, when it comes to females mostly, there is the saying,
"Chocolate cures everything" which is basically true. I'm not going to get scientific here, but the
gist of it is that chocolate stimulates the endocrine gland to emit hormones
that make one happy. It won't cure
depression, but when it comes to stress and sadness, it helps to calm you down
enough for a better assessment of a personal situation. Another thing you can do is be active, even
if it is the simplest of tasks, or even trying out a new recipe; it gets your
mind off of your sadness, even if just for a little while. What better way to deal with sadness then to
combine a chocolate chip cookie recipe with baking in the kitchen? You're up, moving about, concentrating on a
task and you'll end up with a delicious snack that will lead you to your happy
place.
This recipe
will give you about 2 and 1/2 to 3 dozen cookies depending on how large you
make them. I usually make balls of dough
about 1 and 1/2 inches in diameter and get about 2 and 1/2 dozen; less cookies,
but larger cookies...less does equal more!
The cookies are soft and chewy; if not kept in an airtight container,
they will get dry and crumble easily. I
also use Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips; much larger than
those morsels, more chocolate flavor and when they're all melty, you feel no
pain, just pleasure. The recipe is
similar to the original Toll House recipe, but you all know I simply cannot do
“as is”. Bake up a little happiness
today!
Chocolate
(Ghirardelli) Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
2 and 1/4
cups flour
1/2 tsp.
baking soda
1 cup
unsalted butter; softened, but not melted
1/2 cup
white sugar
1 cup light
brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. pure
vanilla extract
2 large
eggs, beaten
1 and 1/2
cups Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
Preparation:
Preheat oven
to 350F; I recommend using AirBake baking sheets instead of regular nonstick,
or ones that need to be sprayed. Whether
it is cookies or biscuits, no sticking and cleanup is with a damp, clean cloth.
Whisk the
flour and baking soda into a large bowl, set aside. In another large bowl, cream together the
butter, white and brown sugars until smooth.
Add the salt, vanilla extract and eggs; on medium speed for one
minute. Continue to beat while gradually
adding the flour mixture; scrape the sides occasionally. When well combined, stir the chips in with a
heavy duty spoon being careful not to break them.
Create balls
of dough from 1 inch to 1 and 1/2 inches in diameter; place on the baking
sheets 2 inches apart. Bake cookies for
about 10 minutes; edges will be browned, but still slightly soft in the
center. Let the cookies rest for about 2
minutes before transferring them to a wire rack for complete cooling. When completely cooled, place in an airtight
container.
Makes 2 and
1/2 to 3 dozen cookies.
Mary Cokenour
