Back-to-school baking
For those of you with school-aged kids, we’ve officially entered the back-to-school season. Actually, back-to-school gets properly underway in August, when we undertake our annual trips to the store and stock up on the necessities: folders, binders, notebook paper, pencils and pens, maybe some fun erasers, markers and scissors and craft glue. Fall is a time of pulling inward, stocking for the cooler months ahead, and in this way our yearly practice of readying for school is very fitting. New adventures lie around this bend—we’ll be ready to meet them.
The practice certainly changed as my daughter grew older. By her college years instead of the colorful folders with rabbits on them we were more in the market for plain black notebooks or binders, extra red pens for making notes on her college classmates’ workshop stories, a backup charger for her laptop so she’d be able to get her virtual readings up during discussion seminars. But the sentiment of the ritual is unchanged. We’re preparing for the next thing, the next step on our journey. Refreshed and reinvigorated by the adventures—and the relaxation—of summer, we arm ourselves with paper and pencil and settle in for the coming calendar of learning. The spirit remains the same.
A part of our back-to-school ritual always included, of course, prepping the perfect lunchbox snacks. Today, in the spirit of taking the next adventure, I thought I’d share with you one of our personal favorite cookie recipes, from a vintage cookbook a friend shared with me a few years ago. This has become a staple in our rotation—whether you’re baking to add a sweet treat to your kids’ lunchboxes, or just to treat yourself as you step into this new season, these are sure to brighten your fall. From the cookbook Cookies by Lou Seibert Pappas, here is the finest oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe out there!
Ingredients:
1 cup of butter, at room temperature
¾ cup each of granulated white sugar and firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
¾ cup each of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 cups of quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or any nut of your choice
1 large package (12 oz.) of chocolate chips
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F
Beat the butter and the sugars together until creamy and fluffy
Beat in the eggs and the vanilla
In a separate bowl, stir together the flours, baking soda, and salt
Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, beating well
By hand, stir in the oats, nuts, and chocolate chips. Sometimes we’ll sneak in some butterscotch chips, too, if the mood strikes us! Mixing these ingredients in by hand helps ensure your cookies don’t get overbeaten in the mixer.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown
Cool on wire racks. This recipe makes a pretty big batch—around 6 dozen—so cut everything in half, or down to ⅓, if you’re looking for something smaller
Back-to-school season is also a time when we start to see how well our homes are working for us. Does our kitchen meet the extra demands of packed lunches? Do we have enough workspace for us to do our jobs while the kids are working on their projects and homework? How can our home be better tailored to do what we need it to do, and represent our tastes and spirit while doing so?
I’m here to help you answer those questions, and plan your home redesign. Drop me a line—I’m ready when you are!
In the meantime, I hope these cookies bring a little sweetness to this fresh and busy time of year. I think I’ll whip up a batch myself.