Heath bar cookies, and holidays past.

About this time last year, I made my first batch of cookies. A year ago! They were chocolate chip, and there was snow on the ground, and I made them in my parents' kitchen while they were out of town and Murdo and I were catsitting, and I think we stopped at Leno's before that to pick up some delicious sub sandwiches.

That same day, or maybe the day before, I had met Shanna and my sister at Honey Cafe for lunch, and Jenny brought us sugar cookies, and they wished me luck when I told them I was setting off on my maiden cookie bake.

The week before that, I wrote about this soup, which I've been making at least once a month, every month, since then. Looking back at that post, I can't believe how white it was outside. The only snow we've gotten around these parts lately has been a light dusting, some flurries, frosty car windows in the morning. It's not looking like we'll have a white Christmas this year, and as much as I complain about the snow when it does arrive, it's always a little disappointing looking out the window on Christmas morning to drab gray instead of bright white.

Two years ago, there were these eggs, and thoughts of giving up on my blog altogether. I'm so glad I didn't. Every year, the holidays come and go, and we often look back and remember the presents we got, and where Christmas dinner was held, and the flight delays and the hustle and bustle and the stressed-out shopping sessions. Looking back through past blog posts, and I'm reminded of those little in-between moments. The ones that might not stick out as defining that year's holiday season, but still helped make it what it was. The new recipes, the first batch of cookies, the mini-breakdowns and the comfort foods that saved the day. I'm happy they're still alive, here.

Today, there are these Heath bar cookies. Next year, when I'm looking back at this post, I can remember that I made these on the same weekend of my mom's birthday, when we went to Bob Chinn's and feasted on crab legs and steak, and my sister's belly was round and very much pregnant with the first boy of the family, and Murdo and I saw one of our favorite bands twice that week as Christmas gifts to each other.

Next year, my nephew will be here. The kittens will be cats. There will be soups and stews and slow cooker meals, and wrapping paper on the table, and candy canes and fires. I wonder if there will be snow on the ground.

Heath Bar Cookies (from Simply Recipes)

The original recipe, below, makes 6 dozen cookies. I saw that and thought, My goodness that is a lot of cookies. So I halved the recipe. Big mistake, guys. Make them all, and have no regrets.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups chopped Heath Bar pieces, or 8 (1.4 oz) bars

Combine flour, salt and baking soda in one bowl, and set aside. Beat together the butter and the sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla. Add the flour mixture, a third at a time, to the butter sugar mixture until well blended. Mix in the chopped Heath bars. Chill dough for 30 minutes to an hour. 

(I used a hand mixer to beat the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla, then mixed the rest of the ingredients by hand with a spatula.)

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and spoon the cookie dough onto the sheets, in small 1-inch diameter balls about 3 inches apart. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, checking often during last 5 minutes, until cookies begin browning at the edges. (Original recipes says 10 - 12 minutes; I baked mine for 15.)

Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Makes 6 dozen cookies!