Milk & Cookies

Having had more time in my life than ever to reflect on things, today let's take a walk down memory lane. I have no recollection of the above photo. It's dated July, 1983, Knoxville, TN. It has been in the same frame next to my mother's bed as far back as I can remember. I was three years old, and had a thick southern accent that I have spent years trying to cover up. It's a rare thing to hear from me but if I get really tired, drunk, or am caught talking to my parents or siblings too long, it makes an appearance. My mother informed me today that I was in Knoxville as a child. I think we must have been stopping through on one of our many road trips in this blue conversion van that my parents had. I didn't ask her about the story but showed my father the photo on my iPad after my mother learned how to use her scanner for the first time, and he acted like he's never even seen it. Not much of a response from him about it either. It's one of a few precious photos that shows us as we were. Simple folk. HA! Or, it was one of those touristy old time photos where they dress you up in silly clothes and tell you not to smile. Either way, I haven't aged a bit since then, and my mother said she must have been about 19 1/2 at the time.

Staying true to the pioneer roots, the house water here is supplied by a well. I wish I was kidding but that is the honest to goodness truth. I call it the wishing well but there is no hole to drop into because it has a cover and I'm too scared to open it. Off to the side of the well is the North property line. Trees everywhere. It is really pretty as is the entire property.

I moved to California from Atlanta just before I turned five years old. My mother was a fundraiser for the Atlanta Ballet when we lived there, my siblings danced in the company. In California my mom was a member of the PTA and Troop Leader over the years for the Girl Scouts at the different levels. She always made things for the school bake sales and when I got older she was known as Betty Crocker by my friends because she always had something sweet and homemade in the house. One of my favorite childhood recipes was called a Peanut Blossom. It's a peanut butter cookie, rolled in sugar and topped with a Hershey's Kiss. What follows is an ode to that recipe that I have adapted over the years. I have made them countless times and they are a favorite among my friends. Enjoy with milk, or wine.

Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
2/3 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Tablespoons Whole Milk
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 3/4 Cup AP Flour
1/2 tsp Good Salt (never ever iodized)
Milk Chocolate Chips
Raw Sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with a silpat or parchment paper. (Invest if you don't have it at home.)
With an electric mixer beat the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy, then add in the peanut butter and mix well. (This is a good reason to purchase a Kitchen Aid Mixer for your girlfriend.) Add in the egg and beat well. Add in the vanilla and milk. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly add it to the rest of the ingredients and then stop. Do not over mix once the flour is in. Fold in the chocolate chips. If the dough is too warm to roll into balls you can put it in the refrigerator to chill for a bit. Form into whatever size cookies you prefer and roll in the Raw Sugar. Place evenly spaced on your prepared sheet pan and bake until golden brown. 8-13 minutes depending on the size, just check them and rotate the pan.

*Since I didn't want to bake all of my cookies today, I took 2/3 of the dough before I added the chocolate chips and put it in the freezer for later. Recipe yields approximately 36 delicious cookies.