Chocolate Genes

My mother, obviously, has been a great influence in my life. But I think my passion for chocolate is more than influence; I'm quite sure it's genetic. However, I do know that I was greatly impressed about the importance of chocolate when I came home from 1st grade one day to find my mother relaxing on the living room sofa with a magazine and a WHOLE BOX OF CHOCOLATES!!! She was savoring one - I can actually remember seeing the ooey-gooey insides - and she even offered the box to me to choose whichever one I wanted! I was giddy. I was exhilerated. I was conflicted. Do I pick the one that obviously had a nut filling? Or the one with a pink rose on top? Or the dark chocolate with the white chocolate squiggly design? Maybe I could be absolutely careless and pick something randomly. I don't remember what my actual choice was but I do remember biting into it.....and being even more surprised. It was a rubber chocolate, as were all the rest in the box. April Fool's!

This sweet little plate will be sitting on my counter on April Fool's Day just inviting trouble - can you tell which two are edible and which two are not? I also have yummy looking hard candies that are supposed to taste like fish - can't say for sure because I'm not going to try one myself. Oh, and some fake dog mess that will be strategically placed for Keven & Kris' benefit. (Thanks for the inspirations, mom!)

Plane Truth

IF I am given enough notice and IF I am not overwhelmed with essential "stuff to be done now" I make sure my pilot son takes bags of cookies to his crew when he flies through El Paso. OK, it's only happened twice now, but I like to think it's the beginning of a tradition! And IF I get the special bags that are in every front seat pocket of every plane, that is what I use to send the cookies along.
ps - Kelly, you know I'll do the same for you!

This is the basic Nestle's chocolate chip cookie recipe, I just use the chunky chocolate chips and double the quantity of nuts (Keven's requirement), and I only chop the nuts slightly. They are really chunky cookies. I also use the guidelines for higher elevations because even though we have lots of sandy beaches around here we are not at sea level!

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie

2 ¼ cups unsifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine (2 sticks, softened)
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups chopped pecans
2 cups chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 375.
2. Stir flour with baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl cream together butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Gradually blend dry mixture into creamed ingredients. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.
4. Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before removing to cooling racks.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

For higher altitudes: Increase flour to 2 ½ cups; decrease sugars to 2/3 cup; add 2 teaspoons water with eggs and vanilla.