All of a sudden I have become a great fan of dark chocolate chips. And as for peanut butter chips, well I have been a devotee since they first appeared on grocery store shelves. And in combination, well there is no going back for this cookie lover. But sometimes dark chocolate chips can be hard to find. I use Guittard Extra Dark Chocolate Chips that I can usually find at our local Bartell Drugs Store. If you aren’t lucky enough to live in the Puget Sound area, I would recommend going on line to find a supply of these little darlings and then always keep them at the ready in your freezer. They really are wonderful chocolate chips. And these cookies are fantastic. Not too hard, not too soft – just right! And easy to make too!

I decided that I would take them to a recent choral rehearsal we were involved in. Some of us who had sung together for many years were asked to sing at the Celebration of Life for one of our fellow singers. A 49 year old woman who was one of the kindest, most amazing, and talented woman we had ever had the pleasure of calling a friend. It was rough.

We had already shed many tears, but accompanying the singers (Andy) and singing (me) was really difficult. And I knew how tough it would be for all of my fellow singers as well. So I decided to do what I had always done when we were singing together as a group. I brought cookies to the rehearsal. I knew this simple gesture would help bring a little normalcy to this difficult but ultimately rewarding occasion. And it worked, especially for the guys. They dove into the cookies as if they were a life line.  

No one knows what the future will bring. At the end of the Celebration of Life I was a little uncomfortable when the pastor got up to deliver his ending remarks. I thought his words might be a bit too preachy for my taste. But I could have hugged the man after he finished his closing comments. He said, and I paraphrase, “in these trying times – love each other a little bit more, show everyone a little bit more kindness, go out of your way to do something special for someone in need, live goodness rather than hate, and be understanding and respectful of others who have a different point of view than yours”.

His words really resonated with me, especially the “be understanding and respectful of others who have a different point of view than yours”. In these difficult times, it is almost impossible for me to even be in the same room with someone who defends much less admires our current administration. I see it as a character flaw and find the whole thing incomprehensible. So I need to change my ways. Not so much for anyone else’s sake, but rather for my own sake. As a decent human being. So I hope I’m not too old to learn a lesson about kindness and even forgiveness.

And even though the Celebration of Life was difficult and we are going to miss Laurie with all our hearts, I’m so glad I was reminded by her minister of what it means to be a good citizen of the world. And I’m going to continue baking cookies. Giving cookies away may just be a simple gesture, but it’s one that can make a difference in how someone sees the world and their place in it. So happy baking dear friends. And love and peace to all.

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  1 c. brown sugar, packed
  ½ c. granulated sugar
  2 lg. eggs
  1 T. vanilla extract
  1¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
  1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• 3 c. rolled oats (not instant or quick cook)
• 1½ c. dark chocolate chips
  1½ c. peanut butter chips

Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and creamy, about 4 minutes in your stand mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

In a medium sized bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together, then stir in the rolled oats. Add to the butter mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Again, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the dark chocolate and peanut butter chips, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.

Using an ice cream scoop, drop cookies onto a lightly greased cookie sheet about 2-inches apart. 

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes or until edges and top are set. Don’t overbake.

Remove from oven and let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. (And don’t worry. The cookies will firm up as they cool.)  

Store in an airtight container. (And yes of course, you can easily halve this recipe, or double it for that matter!)