First Rate Cookie Monster

How many of you parents have a child who waits till the very last minute to do a project or write a paper, etc.? I have a son just like that. A procrastinator! 

One of the most trying times for me was an instance in elementary school when he came to me and said that he needed an original cookie recipe to enter in the Coastal Carolina Fair—and he needed it the next morning. It was 10:30 PM! 

He was always a very smart child—Principal's List, SAIL Program, etc., so why didn't he finish his projects on time?  

“Brandon,” I said, “are you kidding me? It's late! No grocery stores are open, and you have to come up with an “original” recipe? And take it to school in the morning? What were you thinking?” At that point, I should have gone to bed and left him to explain to his teacher why his assignment was not complete. “We’re going into the kitchen, looking through the cabinets to see what we can come up with, and you’re going to stay awake until it is finished! Understand?”  

Plundering through the pantry, we came up with a few ingredients. Now we had to put this “original” recipe together and pray that it would be edible.  

 So, nearing midnight, Brandon started. This is the recipe that he invented: 

Chip and Spice Cookies 

Ingredients: 

2 c Flour  

1 Stick of Butter 

1 c Sugar 

2 Eggs 

1 tsp Vanilla 

½ tsp Baking Soda 

¼ tsp Cinnamon 

¼ tsp Nutmeg 

1 c Milk Chocolate Chips (He used Toll House Morsels.) 

Walnuts (optional) 

Raisins (optional) 

Directions: 

1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2- Put all ingredients (except chips, nuts, and raisins) in a food processor and pulse. (Remember, it’s the middle of the night, so the faster to finish, the better!)  

3- Stir in the chips, nuts, and raisins by hand (so as not to break apart). 

4- Drop teaspoons full of dough on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray (Bakers Joy or something comparable). 

5- Bake 8 to 10 minutes.  

6- Remove promptly.

After all this, he waited for the cookies to cool, packed them up, and this assignment was complete. After a few hours' sleep, he took his “original” cookie recipe and headed off to school.  

A couple of days later, Brandon was notified that his recipe had won a blue ribbon at the fair! Imagine that!  

You've heard the expression that a recipe was made with love!? Well, I can assure you this was NOT!  

But there was some satisfaction in knowing that Brandon had won that blue ribbon. So, yes. We hopped in the car, headed to the fair to view his cookies AND his blue ribbon on display.  

As we gazed through the glass, we were both pleased at what he had accomplished, just not what it took to get there.  

“If you ever do that again you can count me out for any help,” I told him! 

That situation had a positive ending, but I wouldn't want to go through it again—not even for a blue ribbon. Do you think he learned his lesson? 

 ~ Jeannie Joyner