Baking Cookies

Posted on March 31, 2021 Updated on April 1, 2021

Savannah and Mimi pulled out the flour, butter, chocolate chips, and eggs for baking cookies. Donning matching aprons they chattered about the yummy confections they soon would enjoy. Bowls, measuring cups, spoons, and baking sheets clattered onto the counter.

Mimi flicked a pinch of flour into Savannah’s hair. “Mimi!” She grabbed her own and tossed it onto Mimi’s face.

Following Mimi’s recipe, Savannah carefully spooned flour into the measuring cups and with the handle of the spoon scraped away the extra flour. 

“Mimi, why do we make the flour level with the top of the cup? Why can’t we use more butter and especially more sugar?” 

 “This helps the cookies turn out the same every time we baked them. The flour, butter, and sugar are like the the ingredients God used when He made us. He says He made us and knew us before we were born. He declares His works are wonderful. He called us by our names.” 

Savannah mumbled how some people sure needed more sugar. Mimi chuckled, “Whatever is in our hearts is what is spoken from our lips. Jesus is love. If Jesus fills our hearts, more love and joy flow from our lips.”

“But, Mimi, a lot of people are just mean. It’s hard to talk back to them in a nice way.”

Savannah measured teaspoons of baking soda and baking powder. “Stick your finger into the baking soda and taste it, Savannah.” 

Sputtering and running for water she yelped, “Mimi! That’s awful! Don’t put that in the cookies.”

“Ah, but if we leave it out, our cookies will be as flat as paper.” Mimi described the baking powder and baking soda as necessary in very small amounts to help the cookies rise into fluffy, soft treats. She also warned how too much, only one spoonful more, would cause the cookies to taste bitter.

“Wow! That doesn’t make sense,  Mimi.” 

With sad eyes she turned and faced Savannah. “Sometimes people have too much bitterness in their hearts. Often this causes them to hurt others with their words or actions.”

Savannah added the chocolate chips and stirred them into the batter. “Mimi, what makes a person have bitterness in their hearts?” 

“Pain happens in all our lives. I had cancer and my medicines made me lose all my hair. Sally’s daddy left her and her mother, and she never sees him anymore. Sweetie, you know how hurt you felt when Katie told lies about you to the other children in your class? Those are bitter-like life stories. Some people let the anger, hurt, and bitterness stay in their hearts. It grows until it is like poison in their hearts, then they want to make others hurt the way they do.”

“Mimi, you had bad things happen in your life like your cancer, but you try to make other people feel loved and happy. Is it because you have the love of Jesus in your heart?”

Before Savannah could speak again, cookie dough plopped onto Savannah’s nose. “Oh! No you don’t!” And Mimi wore dough her nose as well.

As they scooped the dough onto the pans, Mimi gazed at Savannah “Even with Him in my heart, if I feel hurt or angry, I try to choose to speak and act in kindness.”

They slid the pans into the oven and Savannah wondered why the cookies needed the heat for all those minutes instead of just a couple. “Just the right amount of heat makes the cookies firm enough to hold but still soft enough to eat. Too much heat burns the cookies or makes them hard and bitter. Not enough heat and the cookies are too soft to hold and they still taste like uncooked dough.

“We have heat in our lives too. Remember how you felt when you lost your puppy? Mack cannot walk, because he broke his back. He says he is not handicapped and instead does what he wants to do while sitting. How about twenty-three-year-old Anna who died when her car crashed? Her mom and dad tell others their story, because they rejoice knowing they will be with her again one day. These are the heat in our lives. We can choose to let Jesus use the heat in our lives to help us become more like Him. We can choose to stay in pain from the heat, and then we become hard-hearted and bitter.”

Beep! Beep! The timer shouted, “Time is up!” Mimi slid the pan out of the oven and onto the cooling rack. Savannah swayed back and forth, bouncing up and down with impatience until she could sink her teeth into the sweet treat. She knew from experience biting into one too soon blistered her tongue. Sometimes waiting brings great rewards.

Sliding the spatula under the cookie, she lifted the still warm cookie into her hand. Sinking her teeth into it she grinned at Mimi. As she Swallow she held four fingers in front of her face, and Mimi held out the dish to her. “Want some milk to go with those?”

Chocolate chip cookies 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips, or M&M’s

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon fine salt

Place rack in center of oven.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl mix together butter and sugars until creamy. 

Slowly beat in vanilla extract (but fresh vanilla beans make the best) and eggs.

In a separate bowl stir together dry ingredients.

Stir in chocolate chips or M&M”s.

Slowly mix in dry ingredients.

If possible use an ice cream scoop and place scoops about two inches apart on the pan. 

Bake 12-15 minutes depending on desired softness or crunchiness.

Transfer fron pan to cooling rack after two minutes.