This week has been tough for my husband. Work is stressful, the girls are getting restless for spring, and I have noticed he is down. When my husband needs encouragement, there are a few things I can do.
I need to show him love in a way he will best receive. As his wife, it is very important to understand your husband’s love languages. The book, “The 5 Love Languages
Craig’s love languages are words of affirmation and physical touch. He also has a love language not listed in the book: Cookies. Now, this may fall under gift giving, but really, he is not big on gifts. Just cookies. I know that after a long day at work, nothing lifts my husband’s spirit like a batch of hot, gooey chocolate chip cookies waiting for him on the counter.
I used to make my favorite cookie recipe for him. And it was really good. But not as amazing as the cookies a dear friend from church makes. Miss M is known for her cookies, and there really is no comparison.
When Craig professed that he liked her cookies best, I became a bit jealous. Especially after he asked if I could make cookies like her. I mean, what is a wife supposed to do? After swallowing my pride, I asked Miss M for her recipe, which she graciously shared.
That Miss M must add extra love or a secret ingredient to her cookies, because no one I know can replicate her recipe the same way. These chocolate chip cookies are based on her famous recipe, but with my own yummy twist.
The addition of extra vanilla and cinnamon plays well with the cream of tarter, giving it a slight snicker-doodle taste. I use lard instead of oil to create a delightfully chewy cookie. They are crisp on the outside, gooey on the inside, and loaded with chocolate cinnamon goodness.
So anytime Craig needs encouragement, I can praise him for being the amazing man God created him to be. I can rub his feet or snuggle. Or I can simply bake up a batch of these chocolate chip cookies. Isn’t it wonderful to say I love you, without saying anything at all?
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: 3-4 dozen, depending on size
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 10 minutes
¾ cup Butter – room temp
¾ cup Lard – room temp
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 T. Vanilla Extract
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Sea Salt
4 cups Flour
4 tsp. Cream of Tartar
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 – 12 oz. Package Semisweet Chocolate Chips
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare your cookie sheets with parchment paper. (This is not essential, but makes transferring the cookies to a cooling rack easier, as the cookies are soft.)
In a large bowl, add the softened butter and lard. Beat with mixers until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and mix. Next add the eggs, vanilla and cinnamon. Blend well.
In a separate bowl, mix together the salt, flour, cream of tartar and baking soda. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. Mix until well incorporated.
Add the chocolate chips to the mix. This recipe is all about the chocolate, so use chocolate chips you love. I am a semisweet kind of girl, but milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or chocolate chunks would also be lovely.
Using a large cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop balls of cookie dough onto your prepared sheets. I make mine about 2 tablespoon in size. Leave enough space for the cookies to spread while baking. I can usually fit about 9 per sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown. They will be soft. Carefully transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes. I find it easier to slide the parchment paper with baked cookies onto the cooling rack.
Pour a large glass of milk and enjoy! Cookies taste best eaten the same day. Store uneaten cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Note: This recipe makes a large batch. I like to freeze balls of cookie dough to bake later. Form balls of dough and place on a parchment lined sheet. Put in the freezer until solid. Store cookie dough balls in an airtight bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To bake: Place frozen cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
This is my go to recipe to share with family and friends. Everyone loves a great chocolate chip cookie! Thanks for reading this. I hope you try these cookies today and see for yourself how amazing they are!