Week 46: Chocolate Chip Molasses Cookies

This week I chose to bake chocolate chip molasses cookies.  To date I have only used molasses in 2 cookie recipes (gingerbread cookies week 4 and molasses cookies week 17 ) so I was eager to try it again.  The pairing of chocolate chips with molasses sounded a little unusual, so I decided to try it. I found this recipe in a cookbook that I have titled "The Cozy Home Cookbook."  It is published by a company called "Gooseberry Patch."  I have dozens of their cookbooks and I love them.  All the cookbooks are community style, so I couldn't locate the exact recipe by the same author on the internet.  I did a search, however, and found a recipe that is exactly the same minus the addition of the chocolate chips.  So to make the cookies the way I did, just follow the link's directions, then add a 12 ounce bag of semi sweet chocolate chips at the end.  I did make a few substitutions.  First, I used "Earth Balance Vegan Shortening Sticks" instead of regular shortening.  Second, (as usual)  I used one cup of whole wheat flour and one cup of all purpose flour.  The resulting cookies are scrumptious and not too "molassesy"...ha I think I just made up a word! ☺  Here is a link to the recipe: http://southernfood.about.com/od/molassescookies/r/bl30425m.htm

I love love love the name of the cookbook in which I found this week's recipe..."The Cozy Home Cookbook."  I absolutely love the word cozy...it conjures such happy and warm images. My kids love the word cozy too.  It is one of words that I used to make them say over and over when they were toddlers because it sounded so cute.  Ryan used to say it all the time.  I especially loved it when he'd say cozy because he said it with a "th" instead of a "z."  When Ryan said the word it sounded like this "costhy."  (see video at the end of the blog). To this day whenever Dan and I use the word "cozy" we say it like Ryan used to when he was a toddler.☺

It has been rainy, windy, and chilly for the last couple of days so I was immediately drawn to the name of the cookbook. I flipped through the dessert section and selected the recipe because it sounded so homey and cozy.  Our home is actually pretty cozy right now.  Due to the chilly weather we turned on the heat, and we've been using our throw blankets and afghans to get cozy at night while we watch tv.  Also, I have been burning a lot of my new candles.  A few weeks ago I got a bunch of new candles and "wall flowers" from "Bath and Body Works."  I picked all the coziest new scents.  My absolute favorites are cinnamon sugar doughnut, salted caramel, and fresh baked cookies.  If it was possible for a place to smell cozy my house does! ☺  In addition to chilly weather, warm blankets, and yummy smelling candles, pajamas also make me feel cozy.  My absolute favorite thing to do on an inclement day, is to watch movies with the family, while snuggled under blankets on the couch, in our jammies, with the fireplace on, with candles burning, while we snack on popcorn or cookies. HEAVEN! (see picture above)

Thunderstorms make me feel cozy too.  I love love love a good thunderstorm...especially at night.  I love falling asleep listening to the rumble of thunder and the patter of rain hitting the roof while I am cozy in my bed.  Needless to say cookies make me feel cozy.  I have always thought of cookies as such a homey dessert.  Pie is a pretty homey dessert too...hey... maybe after I exhaust all of my cookie recipes I'll move on to pies! ☺  For me the word "homey" is synonymous with the word "cozy", so cookies in my opinion are a very cozy food.  Especially cookies that are still warm from the oven.  I hope that when I share my cookies made with love that "my people" feel cozy when they eat them. 

 I really do intentionally add love to all my recipes, and my cookies are no exception.  In fact, while I am mixing the dough or stirring the sauce, I say to myself "...love love love love."  In that way I am literally adding love to my recipes. In addition to adding love to my food, I like to think that I am adding happiness and joy to the world.  If the people in my little facet of the world feel happy when they eat my cookies, then maybe in some small way that happiness is "paid forward" to someone else.  That sentiment reminds me of a quote that I read by "Ana Pascal"  (Maggie Gyllenhaal's character in the movie "Stranger Than Fiction).   Ana Pascal says "...I figured if I was going to make the world a better place, I'd do it with cookies."  I'd like to think that I am making the world a better place too...one cookie at a time. ♥