I’m having a bit of a rough time getting into the holiday spirit this year. I know, YOU’RE SHOCKED AND HAVE NO IDEA WHY.
This candle helps quite a bit. And so does baking. Especially when your six-year-old has decided with 100% certainty that what she wants to be when she grows up is a chef (“because they get to eat a lot”), and wants nothing more than to perch herself on the kitchen counter with some carols playing in the background and help you roll out perfect little balls of dough.
This morning, she asked if coronavirus would still be around when she went to college. “No,” I said, “but probably for another six months.” …And do you know what she did? Screamed – in joy! – at the top of her lungs. “Six months?!” she said. “That’s NOTHING!”
From the mouths of babes. We got this.
Now go make some cookies.
(Makes approximately 24 small cookies; recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen – thank you to Alejandra at AlwaysOrderDessert for the suggestion!)
What You Need:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (I like Maldon, and large-flake salts generally)
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
What You Do:
1. In a stand mixer (or beating by hand), mix together the butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla until well-blended.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture.
3. Mix in the oats, chocolate chips, and walnuts.
4. Let sit in the refrigerator overnight (or, if you’re making these for Christmas Eve, just until it’s chilled), and then scoop onto a parchment paper-lined (or, in my case, PAM-sprayed) baking sheet. Keep them small; you’ll get bunches more out of the recipe (and small cookies somehow taste better, anyway).
5. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until golden-brown at the edges (they’ll look a little undercooked on top; that’s okay).
6. Serve with milk (and a big kiss for Santa).
