As my daughters grow more independent day by day, I’ve become especially aware that their little brother will follow in their footsteps before long. With only a few months left in his preschool year, I’ve been intentional about carving out extra one-on-one time with Eli during the day. Some afternoons we head to the YMCA and chase each other in the pool — he wears a floatie, I hold a noodle, and we play “noodle monster,” taking turns being “it.” It’s one of our favorite ways to spend time together and a sneaky way for me to get some exercise.
We’ve also made baking together a weekly ritual since he was about 18 months. He’s gotten so good that he instinctively knows when to speed up or slow down while creaming the butter and sugar. Before long he may well be known among his friends as the cookie master, and with good reason.
Filling out his Kindergarten registration last month made me a little sad — it felt like an unofficial countdown had started. The long days that are just him and me will change next fall, and that thought tugs at my heart. When Eli asked last week if we could bake cookies, I felt the urgency to savor the moment. He wanted chocolate chip, his favorite, and I proposed adding peanut butter and oatmeal. It was a delicious compromise we both loved.
These cookies, with a flavor reminiscent of the Girl Scouts’ Do-Si-Do, are not overly sweet but incredibly satisfying. I like to call them humble-but-not-so-humble cookies: they may look plain, but each bite tastes like a cookie made with love.
I’m thinking of naming them “Eli’s Cookies” so he’ll remember these days and the time we spent baking together even when he’s living independently someday. Though that future feels far off, experience with our older daughter Abigail has shown me how quickly time passes. With her heading into junior high in the fall, I expect her to start carving out her own social life and interests, and the family dynamic will shift. A mother’s work is never done.
If you’re in the mood for a comforting, delicious cookie that brings a little joy, stop what you’re doing and bake a batch. Consider inviting someone to join you and share the experience. Enjoy!
- 1 1/4 cups raw (turbinado) sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup chunky peanut butter (avoid natural oily peanut butter; JIF or Skippy work well)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together the sugar, butter, peanut butter, egg, and vanilla until well combined.
- Add the oats, flour, chocolate chips, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Mix until the chocolate chips are evenly distributed and the dough comes together with no visible flour.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons), place mounds of dough 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Gently flatten each mound with the bottom of a flat cup or your hand so the cookies are roughly 3/4 inch tall.
- Bake 13–15 minutes, until the tops are golden and the centers are set. Remove from the oven and place the baking sheet on a heat-safe surface.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.