Ma's Chocolate Chippers

I feel the need to say some good things about my mom's cooking since I totally bashed her spinach and asparagus. She didn't guilt me into it, (she probably didn't even read it) but being the good daughter that I strive to be, I'm going to highlight one of her many specialties today.

I've never had a raging sweet tooth. That's probably a good thing, since quantities of chocolate larger than that in a small brownie give me a migraine. Regardless, I tend to be pretty picky about my sweets. Nothing that will get stuck in my teeth (I'm looking at you, Heath Bars), nothing too rich, and whenever possible, milk with cookies. If they aren't soft cookies and there's no milk in sight, I'll pass. I just don't like hard cookies.

I grew up on only homemade cookies. Anything else that went on sale or came with a coupon, Ma was on it. But not cookies. From Black Friday to Christmas week, she's baking. She starts stockpiling butter and margarine in early June. The hidden Milky Ways and caramels are discovered around Halloween. It's always been the way in my family. No store-bought cookies in our house. Just a supply of homemade delights that lasts from Black Friday until about June. (That time was much shorter when my Dad was here to "test" the cookies as they came out of the oven)

I feel as though I was the weird kid growing up that would turn down cookies at friends' houses and gatherings. Its not that I didn't want them, it's just that I preferred my Ma's. Still do. Although now if a craving strikes, I'm not as picky and will make do with what's available. So not unlike her non-heirloom spaghetti sauce, I've always strived to duplicate my Ma's chocolate chip cookies. By gosh, I think I did it.

If I go down the pudding aisle in the supermarket, you know chocolate chippers are not far behind.

I never seem to have a print out of the recipe, so I end up calling my Ma every time I get the hankering and have all the ingredients on hand. You'd think she'd have memorized it by now...but she obliges each time and patiently reads it to me. I have a new-found patience for baking these days and was hopeful that this past Sunday, it would pay off.

I even left the butter out long enough to get as soft as butter is supposed to get before becoming part of a cookie. Everything came together easily, thanks to my new mixer. (I tried a few recipes pre-bridal shower without a mixer, and with one that I borrowed for wayyyyy too long and almost got a roommate in trouble with another roommate. I suggest keeping your own electric hand mixer on well, hand.)

I also owe a big thanks to my small scoop. Had I had this little gadget a long time ago, I think I wold have started baking a long time ago. It prevents me from getting frustrated with using 2 spoons to dallop the dough on the stone and also prevents me from getting lazy and making the cookies larger and larger as I go, just to get rid of the dough and be done with the process.

11 minutes in the oven and wa-lah! Ma's Chocolate Chip Cookies. I'm very proud of myself, as I've never gotten such a good result. That's all I've got. No clever sign off line, just pride. My mom has made these cookies for my niece. I can't wait for her to make them with my children some day.