Cookies, Cookies, Cookies

Jennifer raves about Smittenkitchen.com, a cooking blog run by Deb a New Yorker who loves to make "stepped-up" comfort foods.  I checked the site and cannot stop reading. (Warning: Do not google smitten KITTEN - at least while kids are present).   After a morning of birthday party madness (which I escaped by meeting my friends Bev and Tim at a coffee shop for photography talk), the kids wanted to make cookies.  Cooking with both kids descends quickly into  "it's MY turn to pour"  "I want the wooden spoon"  "Emily touched my head" "Owen called me a name."  Lesson learned.  The only solution: make two different types of cookies.

Emily and I started with a cookies called in which world peace eludes me, a French sable.  We used the fluer de sol and the chocolate I purchased in France the week before.

Emily poured the sugar and monitored the mixer.

These cookies required three hours in the fridge.

Next Owen and I tried  crispy chewy chocolate chip cookies.  I tend towards the toll house recipe, which I make in minutes with my eyes closed.   My family LOVES chocolate chip cookies.  Why not try a new method.

Owen helped with the melted butter and the tablespoon of vanilla (yes, a whole tablespoon).

He mixed the chips by hand.

We decided to only bake the chocolate chip cookies for now and save the other for a different night.

 Delicious!