Friendship, Milk and Cookies

It's funny how you make lasting friendships throughout your life. I sometimes think of how hard it is to make lasting friendships once you've completed school. No matter how much we hated the "cliques" in school, in some way we all belonged to one. We had that friend, or group of friends that we met between classes, ate lunch with and saw movies with on the weekend. Most of the closest people to me I've known since high school, even junior high!

On the flip side of that, I realize how many friends I've made since graduating college. At my first "real job" post college I made a few great friends, who I am still friends with today, despite the fact that I left that job years ago. One of those friends is Maria. She is the most detail oriented, perfectionist to the point of obsessed person that I know, and when she told me she was venturing into event planning, I knew she had found her calling.

Maria was planning her stepdaughter's wedding and had asked me to make cookie favors, because really, who doesn't love an edible favor? She purchased adorable milk bottles and I made 3 different types of cookies to be tied to the bottles and handed out to the guests at the end of the night.

I made chocolate chip, chocolate chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin. They were a hit with all the guests and my husband got to enjoy all the cookie rejects the morning after.

Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie (allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
- Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies (allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Oatmeal Cookies with Raisins (via epicurious.com)

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup raisins (soaked in wateter overnight)

DIRECTIONS

- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with foil; butter foil. Blend first 5 ingredients in medium bowl.
- Using electric mixer, beat butter, vegetable shortening, and both sugars in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in honey, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats, raisins, dates, and walnuts. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing mounds 2 inches apart. Flatten cookies slightly.
- Bake cookies until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on sheets.