Those days where you know you love your children, but you don’t really like them.  Yes, judgy moms, there’s a difference.  Let me explain:  you always “love” them.  You’re the mom, you can’t help it.  You don’t always “like” them.  They can irritate you and annoy you and irritate you and annoy you.  Here’s what I’m sure you’re thinking: one of 3 things:

1. Oh, my goodness.  No, just no.  I would never think that about my children.  I would never feel that.  My children are perfect.  Our lives are perfect.  No, just no.
2. Oh, YES!
3. Oh, my word.  I am thinking that, but I have to say, “oh, no, just no,” so that people don’t think I would ever think that.  

Don’t feel badly, even the #1 people are actually thinking #2.  Don’t let any mom fool you.  It’s OK.  Children are people.  Yes, they’re your people, but they are still people.  It’s not terrible for you to feel like this.  Would you still Mama bear protect them even if they’re acting like they are completely from their father’s side?  Heck yes.  Does it mean you love them less?  No.  Do you have to like them all the time?  NO.  Will you? NO.  Will you feel guilty for not?  YES.  What do you do when you feel this way?  Let. It. Go.  Now, you’re singing from “Frozen.”  So am I.  You’re welcome.  Do I tell them each “You’re my favorite.”?  Yes.  Am I telling the truth?  Yeah, to one of them.  Stop gasping in horror.  Some days I have a different “favorite.”  It all evens out. 

Who doesn’t love chocolate chip cookies? No one I know. I wanted to fancy them up a bit. So, I tweaked some recipes.

Browned Butter (oh, my, yes) Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter (2 sticks and 4 tsp) room temperature

1 cup brown sugar (I used light because it’s what I had.)

3/4 cup granulated sugar (You know I like Whole Foods…organic, non-bleached cane sugar.)

2 large eggs room temperature (Ina Garten said this once, so I just do what she says.)

2 3/4 cups flour (again, unbleached)

2 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla paste…it’s the best)

2 tsp molasses (trust me)

1 tsp fine salt

2 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I added a few more because I’m a grownup and can.)

Instructions:

Brown the butter. Cutting the butter helps for some reason. So, cut it up, and put it in a pan on the stove. Depending on your stove, heat will vary. I went from high to medium to low to medium-low. It was very fickle! DON’T leave the butter alone. It needs you. Stir it until it froths/foams, and then when it starts to smell less like butter and more like deliciousness, remove it from the stove PRONTO! It will burn fast. I know. I burned mine the first time.

Chill the butter in the fridge until it’s back in its butter form…hard and yellowish. I recommend chilling it in the bowl you’re going to use to mix it. Take a nap while this is happening. I did.

Then, pull it out of the fridge and add the sugars and eggs. Mix it up. It’ll be so pretty.

Add the dry ingredients to another bowl just so they mix well together. Then, add to the sugar mixture, a little at a time. Otherwise, it may spill out of your bowl. It won’t “may.” It will.

Now, add the vanilla and molasses. Next, the chocolate chips.

Now, put the bowl of dough in the freezer and chill for about 15 minutes. While it’s chilling out, preheat the oven to 375.

Now, scoop the cookies out onto a parchment/greased/or Silpat lined baking sheet. I used one sheet, so I had to bake 2 batches. I made about 30 cookies.

Bake for 8-11 minutes (10-11 worked for me)

Cool on a cooling rack for like a minute…you won’t be able to wait. My teenager asked if I could make these everyday. Probably not, but thank you for the word hug!

ENJOY!!!