I’ve been a mom for nearly seventeen years.  And in those seventeen years, I have tried to remind myself that my job is to bring up boys who will be more and more independent of me as they approach manhood.  It’s a bittersweet thing for a mamma.

In this process, something terrible has happened.  Somewhere along the line my son has learned how to make his own cookies.  I mean, really, this is a kick to the gut!

This “boy” who is taller than me, who can throw a football nearly the length of the field, can whip up a seriously good batch of cookies.  He can.

So now, this mom, who loves to cook and bake and work in the kitchen, has been demoted.  I am now the second in line, the back up quarterback, the vice president of cookie making in my own home.   My oldest son has said that this is like the Jedi master being replaced by his apprentice.

So now when I say, “Let’s whip up a batch of cookies,” the response is:

“Sure, but is Aaron making them?”

I am not sure how I got here but am working on how to deal with this.

I say this all tongue in cheek!  I think that it is great that my son is as comfortable in the kitchen as he is on the football field.  I am totally fine knowing that he can operate my Kitchenaid stand mixer as well as he can run the lawn mower.

So the recipe that follows for soft baked chocolate chip cookies is all HIS.  These gems just happen to be egg free and gluten free, and are the best, I repeat, the best chocolate chip cookies that I have ever had or made myself!  He’s nailed it.

I leave you with this:

The other day I was bringing a meal over to someone.  I decided that I would include some cookies for dessert.  So early, I mean very early in the morning, before the light of day came and my kids were still sound asleep, I made cookies.  I had to stoop to this level to commandeer my own kitchen for cookie making.  So I creamed the butter, and mixed the flour, and shaped my cookies.  Into the oven they went and onto the cooling rack they stood.  I admit that at 6:00am, I had a cookie.  As I tasted that cookie, the very first thing that came to my mind…no joke, was, “These are not as good as Aaron’s.”

I am ashamed.

Aaron’s Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies
yields 3 dozen (without swiping the dough)

2 sticks cold, salted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 1/4 cups gluten free flour blend (we use Bob’s 1 to 1)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon almond milk
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the cold butter into small chunks.  Place the butter into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Cream the butter until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Add in the sugars.  Cream together again for another two minutes (yes, do it that long…apparently it makes the cookies better than mom’s).

Add in the flour and baking soda.  Mix until combined.

Stir in the almond milk and chocolate chips (we opt to use Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips, because again, this will ensure that your cookies are better than mom’s…really, I’ll be okay).

That’s it.

Scoop out the dough (1 slightly heaping tablespoon) and place the rounds two inches apart.  Bake for 12 minutes.  The cookies will be soft; you want them soft.  Allow them to sit on the baking sheet for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.  Allow the cookies to cool for 15 minutes before scarfing them down.