Tis’ The Season for Cookies: My Aunties Recipe

23 Dec Tis’ The Season for Cookies: My Aunties Recipe

It is cookie season, or at least for Santa that is, and this time, it’s not my momma’s recipe, it’s my aunt’s recipe. For years, I kept the secret under wraps until my friend (no names needed) came over and saw the secret ingredient on my kitchen counter. See, part of my holiday tradition is to bake chocolate chip cookies for the family. Sometimes I even package them all pretty and tag them for holiday gifts. But since my “friend” has figured it out, I may as well be transparent and let you in on the secret too.

First let me say this, it’s not really my aunt’s recipe, but hey, everybody is sis or aunty these days. So I have aunty Betty Crocker’s recipe and I make semi-homemade chocolate chip, pecan cookies. I know you are probably questioning my choice of the phrase, “semi-homemade”, but in my eyes, if I had to use any of my own ingredients plus I added an ingredient not asked for on the back of the package; not to mention the oven, then that is considered semi-homemade to me. Work with me here. I’m giving you the secrets and its up to you if you want to tell your folks.

So, here’s the tea. Pass on the refrigerated cookies and head on over to the baking isle and grab a bag of Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix. The necessities to complete this baked confection is butter, an egg, and my addition, chopped pecans. It is that simple. It is just enough fresh ingredients to gift, time efficient and the kids will love helping because they’ll have cookies in less than 20 minutes and time left to play Fortnite or Roblox. Oh, and of course, Santa will be satisfied too. I’m telling you now, this will be one of the best hacks you’ve tried this holiday season and it will save you some time.

Here are a few things you can do with the time you will save from trying these cookies.

• A face mask (10-15 minutes)
• Journal (10 minutes)
• Pray
• Take a walk
• Read a chapter of a book
• Call a loved one
• Check your budget to ensure to are still on target with your holiday spending

In this season of checking off your list, time is of essence. A recent Harris Poll reported that 44% of people believe that self-care is for people with enough time. To change that statistic, we need to find ways that are more efficient. I know the bakers out there are yelling at the screen, like NOOOOOOOO. But look at it this way, you can skip the sifting of flour, creaming ingredients, measuring cups and shopping for additional ingredients other than what is mentioned earlier. And… for years no one knew and, no lie, the cookies are fire. If time is an issue for you engaging in self-care, give this hack a try and let me know what Santa (wink) and the family thinks.