Isn’t It Ironic?

Although I have never actually bought an Alanis Morissette album, it’s astounding to me that the lyrics of one of her songs are etched so deeply in my mind, similar to several other songs I have referenced in my short blogging career.  In fact, when thinking about my next recipe review, I could immediately hear her grating, jaded refrain along with full accompaniment.

“And isn't it ironic...don't you think
A little too ironic...and, yeah, I really do think...

It's like rain on your wedding day…”

But we’ll get to that recipe in a bit.

Meanwhile, here are a few other ironies that have struck me lately:

-Everyone in my house, including me, hates turning the Christmas tree lights on past December 26th.

-I had grand plans of sharing all my favorite Christmas recipes but forgot how busy the holiday season is.  So, forget about blogging before the big day!

-Santa forgets to leave anything really special in Mom’s stocking, perhaps thinking he won’t get any credit from that particular placement.

-While outwardly jeering at all those long, informative Christmas letters we get, I always pour through them intently as if they contain hidden messages from Nostradamus himself.

-My Christmas treat distribution list dwindles proportionately to the amount of hours I spend baking and candy making.

-Hearing other women’s husbands ask my husband if we’re “all ready for Christmas” on December 10th or so seems to mysteriously raise my blood pressure as I wait for his stress-free reply. 

-All those Christmas movies on Lifetime and Hallmark suddenly become inane on December 26th (for another 11 months.)

-All my years of being single left me a romanticized expectation of New Year’s Eve.  After 12 years of marriage, however, my sole hope is that we both stay awake until midnight.

If you have any holiday ironies to add, I’d love to hear them.   Now, back to that recipe.

 

My family has always enjoyed this particular cookie that I found in a Hershey’s chocolate advertisement.   On my recipe card, I recorded the official name as “Hershey’s ‘Perfectly Chocolate’ Chocolate Chip Cookies.”  The last time I made them, though, I did two things differently.  First, I chilled the dough for an hour or so because time ran short and I needed to run an errand.  Second, when shopping for a new canister of cocoa, I was annoyed that the Hershey’s brand was so darn expensive in my supermarket, so I talked myself into buying this brand instead. 

 Premium Cocoa from SA CO

It’s a blend of regular and Dutch processed cocoa. When my husband tried a cookie after work, he said, to my utter amazement, “Now, that’s what I call a cookie!”  This new cocoa turned the cookie into a superstar!  It is the BEST cocoa to bake with at a fraction of the cost of Hershey’s.  So, while I credit Hershey’s for providing the recipe, remember me and my new cocoa find with a knowing wink, okay?

Hershey’s ‘Perfectly Chocolate’ Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup white chips*

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.  In large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy, blend in eggs and vanilla well.  Gradually add dry ingredients, beating well.  Stir in chips.  Drop by rounded teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes.  Makes 4-5 dozen.

(The cookies pictured were rounded tablespoons baked for 10 minutes, which made 3 dozen.)

*You can experiment with peanut butter chips instead of white, or just go 100% chocolate chips.  My family likes the chocolate/white combo.

Happy New Year!!!