I am not sure how to feel.....

Ok...so I have been making chocolate chip cookies since I was 15. I remember when & why I started to make them. My mom & dad played cards on Saturday night with friends. My dad & his friends made the mistake one day of flattering me on my cookies. HUGE mistake. So each time they played cards at our house, I made the bloody things. It shortly became a hobby.

In my little head I had a goal. There was a cookie shoppe (of course) in the Galleria of downtown Portland which had amazing cookies I thought. Me being still of adequate self esteem, figured I could make them. I think that 6 years ago, I achieved the same taste. Yes, I have been making these cookies for 28 years. I can imagine that there are derisive snorts out there regarding such a hobby. I can honestly say that my popularity was increased by these cookies.

I remember my mom finding a recipe for me which had coriander in it. I remember this because mom told me she remembered a cousin's sons names because it was "Cory, and errrrr". Did I mention I love my mom? Moving forward. I tried an amazing amount of recipes. I remember one time in my early 20's when the sales paper which then came in the mail had a section on chocolate chip cookie recipes, and a bunch of us went through them to decide which ones would be THE ONE. Secretly, I knew the coriander recipe would be well short of the ONE but it truly was great to hear the enthusiasm.

My grandmother was an amazing baker. Not really a sweet person, but knew it all. I suppose that everyone at my age or older had a grandmother like that. No wonder where I got it, but Gran was ascerbic, pushy and ALWAYS right. One day she told a friend of hers "John, my granddaughter is a bitch!" I looked at the ever so diplomatic John and without a second thought I said "John, genetics suck!". I will say I am the chocolate chip cookie guru of my sphere of influence. So, my grandmother gave me tips leading me to the successes I am enjoying today. 1) leave your eggs out to be room temperature 2) never beat the eggs more than they need to be combined or you beat them down 3) butter will make the recipe more cake like where margarine will make it more flat (I may have miffed this but it still sticks with me...no pun).

When I lived in Seattle (but worked in Bellevue) I began to make the cookies for people. Mostly for birthdays and such. I wrapped them in 2's in saran wrap then put them in a zip lock baggie. I remember a that time I offered nuts or no nuts. I was adament that I would not use walnuts....too bitter, I would command...only PECANS for my cookies. They became almost urban legend how good they are. People started demanding them. Serious..."Hey, why did you give Lisa cookies and I didn't get any??" I was truly amazed at the brazen audacity of some. Especially those I didn't like. Am laughing. Rules were formed about the cookies 1) You never ASK for the cookies 2) You don't TELL people you have them 3) I can always come & take one. I was making 6-7 batches a month, rules were a necessity. A friend once said that they are good because I make them with love. In my more bucholic of times, I agree. Logically I say it is the full page recipe and directions I have labored over which does the trick.

My mom didn't care for them. My sister does now, but I think that has come with time. Funny thing is who does or doesn't like them. A dysfunctional relationship I was in (yah like you weren'y ever) he hated them. Was wierd...so I never slept with him. LAUGH....sorry....I can feel my sister's anger right there...it wasn't happening regardless of the cookies. Oh...that was funny. My dad ate them regardless of the recipe I think to be a good dad.

Here are the pecularities of the recipe. It started out as the Guittard chocolate recipe. I, in my obsessive climb to greatness, augmented it:
If I really think about it, I use 1 cube of margarine and 1 unsalted butter...at room temperature (if I am running late & microwave the butter, cookies taste like shit).
DARK brown sugar...I really feel like it has a richer taste.
Room temperature eggs.....you didn't argue with Gran about this stuff. I STIR them in to the creamed sugar mix ONLY UNTIL COMBINED...Gran is right!
Imported vanilla....don't even mention imitation to me.
3 3/4 HEAPING c of flour. I don't want to talk about what a pain in the ass it is to find a 3/4 measuring cup. They don't exist. Right Shawn??
Shake of salt
3 c chocolate chip MIX...yes mix! I take 1 bag of semi sweet chips, 1 bag of milk chocolate chips, 1 bag of mini chips & 1 bag of dark chocolate chips. For some DAMNED reason, they don't sell mini chips in many places in Utah. 2 stores carry them consistently. I mix all of those together and then 3 cups.
Cook them on aerated pans. I got a set for Christmas from mom 20 years ago and I have swiftly berated previous roommates or current spouse for putting the $4.00 pizza on my $20 pans. 2 years ago, I found another 2 in a sale bin WITH a spatula for $10, I felt like that woman in the IKEA commercial......START THE CAR. They work. Look em up.
I only cook them until the tips are brown.
Take them immediately off the pan and put them on a brown paper bag. Don't ask...nearly 30 years...again you suck I rule!

A friend and I had a bake off one time. We both went around the call center with our cookies. He used FLAVORED chips....white chocolate mix....amateur. Was hilarious. NO ONE had the guts to choose. "If I was just having one I would eat his, if I had a jug of milk and in front of the tv...yours". Chickenshits everyone!

So, why am I not sure how to feel? I made some today and I offered them to a rep. He looked at me and said "Are you adopting?" I was worried he meant dogs as I am kinda in puppy mode. I asked for what? He said "You know a family...me, wife & kid" I didn't get it. "You have the gramma thing DOWN". I felt the world looking at him like he said the Venus de Milo was ugly...and everyone knew he was right. It truly did get silent....God was waiting.

I thanked him. In my head I realized this was an awesome Gramma thing to have down. I figured wow....this isn't all that bad. But I told him "Sure, but I don't like kids". Again, Gran was never wrong!

Be great to you!
H