Cookies–Delete from Computer; Add to Life

In all likelihood, my computer is clogged with cookies. But my life. It’s been missing them–the homemade, Toll House variety. So yesterday, Sean and I–mostly Sean–made homemade cookies right after school. The iPad sat gloriously idle for quite a while as he measured and mixed ingredients, parceled out dough, and watched his creation blossom into edible treats.

For the most part, I love technology, and the ease in which I can unearth answers that during my own childhood required delving into World Book Encyclopedia, or a long afternoon at the public library, scrolling through microfiche. That said, I realize that while technology certainly has its benefits, it’s also stealing precious family bonding time, of which I seem to have less and less. Apple dominates my family’s waking hours–iPad, iPhone, iTouch, iTunes, MacBook. An app is running somewhere in my house nearly 24-7.

Yesterday, Mom and Son embarked on a different breed of application: the homemade, real-life variety. How fun it was to watch Sean measure out all of the ingredients, carefully offloading them into the KitchenAid. He was meticulous and precise, breaking the two eggs tenderly over the Pyrex measuring cup. Two tiny shells slipped into the glass cup, and I talked him through fishing them out with a teaspoon.

Sean measures out ingredients, learning every minute of the baking session.

Break an egg, Sean.

At first, Sean didn’t want to set aside the iPad. Yet as the mixer filled with ingredients, and he realized it was his personal masterpiece, his interest in the process, and his pride at doing it all by himself, swelled right before my eyes. He baked solo, with mom coaching and cheering him on from the sideline.

Sean cleans up the overflow brown sugar granules. Our Sean has amblyopia, and is dutifully wearing his eye patch for the required hour while we bake. Thank you, Sean!

When it came time to line the parchment-covered cookie sheet with little piles of dough, Sean scooped up the batter by the teaspoonful and slid each dollop onto the tray with his fingers, licking them after every disbursement.

Every dollop delivered by an eight-year-old's hands await high-temperature transformation from dough to cookie.

Eleven minutes later, the timer buzzed, and I pulled the cookies out of the oven. We waited a few more minutes, and then I handed Sean the spatula to lift the fruits of his labor onto the wire cooling rack. Another minute passed, and then Sean snatched up one of his homemade cookies and nibbled away. iPad, beat that. 🙂

Introducing the iCookie--Sean goes from cookie master to cookie monster in 11 minutes flat.

This afternoon, Sean and I had:

a hands-on math lesson: following a recipe and measuring out ingredients;

an in-the-lab science lesson: mixing ingredients and watching them transform before our eyes;

a confidence-boosting, do-it-yourself lesson: Sean now knows he’s a cookie-baking whiz.

Technology is here to stay. It is an essential part of everyday life. But it will never replace the actual art of living and loving. Or the taste of a beaming eight-year-old’s chocolate chip cookies.

Original Nestle’s Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies (direct from the package to you)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 large eggs

1 2/3 cups (10 oz. pkg.) Nestle Toll House Dark Chocolate Morsels

(Sean made his cookies with half dark chocolate and half white chocolate morsels)

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. (We cracked eggs into a glass Pyrex measuring cup first, and then transfer to the mixing bowl, just in case a tiny shell slipped in.) Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels (and 1 cup chopped nuts if desired). Drop by rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets (we covered ours with parchment paper instead of spraying, which makes for super easy cleanup).

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; move to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 4 1/2 dozen cookies.

Be blessed–and be a blessing,

Martha

LoudounCrazyMom of five 🙂