twd: chunky peanut butter and oatmeal chocolate chipsters

Hooray--cookies! I stocked up on the few ingredients I didn't already have: non-natural peanut butter (though it nearly killed me to buy such an adulterated product), light brown sugar (I'm almost out because I put a big spoonful on my oatmeal every morning), chocolate chips (ghiradelli 60%, not on hand because chocolate doesn't fare well without AC and I pledged not to use it unless absolutely necessary), and dry roasted unsalted peanuts.

I mixed the dough on Saturday afternoon in my trusty pink mixer. The dough was a little wet because my eggs are super powerful and larger than normal, from my friends at the farmers' market. I chilled the dough the requisite two hours and then baked one cookie sheet full to take to my friends' house, leaving the rest to chill overnight.

B and I ate (devoured?) the cookies whilst working our way through a bottle of Conundrum, one of my favorite wines--all floral, creamy, and well-bodied for a white without devolving into the flabby oakiness of a rich Chardonnay. Meanwhile, her two sons slept and her husband S declared a bottle of Pinot Noir to have a "pvc aftertaste." He settled on a Malbec instead, which prompted me to tell a story about how I once went out on a magical first date with a Malbec-quaffing Irish man on St. Patrick's Day! We gathered steam, discussing politics (family, national, feminist) and the ironic goodness of Neil Diamond. How wonderful to have friends to be at home with, who keep inviting me over even when our conversations extend past a reasonable bedtime for parents of an energetic three year old and a newborn.

Tonight, after I finished painting my bedroom sea glass green a la martha stewart, working on back-to-school prep, crafting a delicious farm market pizza, and biking eight miles, I baked the rest of the cookies. Their egginess translated into flatter, crispier, lacy cookies, studded with peanut and chocolate goodness. The peanut flavor is muted, despite the added nuts. The raw cookie dough is addictive. I trust the cookies will be a welcome addition to first day of school festivities; the H-Hall Hipsters are kicking off the year with a coffee ritual involving a big box of Starbucks to Go, milk stashed in a contraband mini fridge, and the aforementioned treats from my TWD ventures. What a lovely start to the school year, and a delicious tradition.

***p.s. for any non-H-Hall Hipsters reading this blog, you're welcome to join us:)