I know that chocolate chip cookies aren’t Christmasy–like gingerbread, spritz etc. Tell that to my husband!
A friend (author Roxanne Rustand) gave me this recipe, but then another friend served us vanilla-flavored chocolate chip cookies (made by adding a box of vanilla pudding mix) and that gave me an idea.
I added more vanilla to the original recipe and when he tasted it, my husband nearly danced aorund the kitchen. And then I decided to toast the pecans before adding them in. Toasting nuts brings out their natural oils and FLAVOR. Then my husband did dance around the kitchen! (kidding–he was too busy chomping!)
So if your husband is like mine and wants chocolate chips cookies for Christmas, this one’s for you!
Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies
3 sticks butter, softened, no substitutions
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
two eggs
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vanilla (Yes, THREE—you won’t believe how this increases FLAVOR!)
2 cups milk chocolate chips
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups pecan halves or pecan pieces (toasted in the oven first-this also amps up the flavor)
Preheat oven to 365°. Cream butter and sugars, then add eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy. Add to dry ingredients and mix. Stir in chips and nuts. Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes till lightly browned. (Don’t over-bake.) If you like them crisper, smash them somewhat flat and bake at 375° for 15 minutes.
Now for the January Question: What’s January like in your neck of the woods? Happy there or not? (Aren’t you glad I didn’t ask you about new year’s resolutions, such as exercise, calories, etc?:-) Or do you have any funny Januray stories? Please share a few commenters will be randomly chose for a free ebook. Happy SWEET Christmas!–Lyn
Here in the southern hemisphere we have gone back to Lockdown 3. Beaches are closed, rivers too. Masks are mandatory, and there is a curfew between 21h00 & 6. No alchohol to be sold at restaurants & pubs, not that they worries me but I would love to walk on the beach on a beautiful summers day!
I live in Minnesota so you know what our winters are like! The snow is pretty to look at but I hate to drive in it! The older I get, the worse this fear is. Usually I would be escaping the cold to go to somewhere warm for a week or two in February or March. But those plans are cancelled. Maybe next year?!!
We live in Grand Junction, Colorado on the western central border. There is snow yet it tends to not last long or come frequently here. We do get some wind occasionally. People are warm & caring so it’s a great time of year.
My husband does like chocolate cookies but watches his sweets so eats very few. Now my son would eat them all.
In Mid-Tennessee it is getting cold but seldom snows much. If it snows, it will be gone in a few days. Much different than when we lived near Chicago. I love it here but miss my son and daughter. It means I only see my granddaughters a few times a year. We were both born in the area and this is where he wanted to retire.
January and February is usually very cold in Michigan. I do enjoy the cold crisp morning air…long enough to get in my truck. ?
January in my neck of the woods is usually cold and we may get a little snow, maybe 4 inches. We have4 birthdays in January so it’s a lot of celebration normally. With the pandemic I guess it will be a lot of Zoom/Duo celebrations.
I’m in Central Wisconsin this year. We are not going to travel due to the virus. We currently have 30’s and no snow. Hoping for a white Christmas! January is also my birthday month. I’ll make our traditional chocolate angel food cake with chocolate whipped cream frosting. I’m looking forward to cross country skiing and some long walks. Hopefully we’ll get some sunny days.
January in the mountains of Colorado are pretty cold. I will be spending as much time as I can standing on my deck enjoying the incredible view of the surrounding area which is full of trees, boulders, snow, elk, deer, foxes, the resident bears are sleeping right now.
I will be spending time with my family, reading and unforunately packing for a big move in a few months. ?
Our little village has less than 400 people and I love it here. Everyone say we are in the “boondocks/boonies” because we are pretty far from any “major” grocery/department stores. LOL We are nestled in between most weather, although we do get hit once in a while. It’s like it just hits all around us. We do have a bank, post office and even a gas station and Family Dollar store that has only been here a couple years. We used to have a traffic light, but that didn’t last long. LOL LOL It might take a while to get here, but It’s beautiful and out of the way.
January can be our most unpredictable month in Southern California. We usually have a heat wave (80s and 90s) for a few days sometime in the month, but it is also the start of our rainy season. One January many years ago it rained almost everyday, but some years not rain in January.
Something funny in January? Is having my first date with my future husband on Friday the 13th of January funny?
Thanks for the recipe. I will have to try it even though my husband should not eat sugar.
Mary Christmas, Lyn
I am assuming January will be cold but it will be our first January in North Carolina in 20 years so I am not sure.
January is usually cooler than December and sometimes more snow. We will be content with whatever the Lord sees fit to send our way. Your cookies sound awesome – hopefully I can make some after Christmas since Chocolate Chip cookies are a favorite of the family.
January is a cold ad gray month upstate NY. That being said it is a great time for me to get projects done around my house as well as work on my own writing. You are an inspiration to get the latter gong well.
January is usually a month that is perfect for family game night, cuddling under warm fuzzy fleece blankets, eating homemade popcorn, drinking hot chocolate from the stove with marshmallows and a peppermint stick, and watching movies. It is cold, windy, and the sky is usually a bit gloomy. The roads often get icy, so travel is out of the question, so January becomes a month of quality family snuggle time!
My birthday is in January too. We usually have fairly cool weather in January. Sometimes we have ice and most of the time very little snow if any. February is the same. I live in MS so our weather is not that bad here, most of the time.
In Toledo, Ohio, January usually becomes bitter cold. We have many nights below zero. We have a house that was built in the 1800’s. The toilet is on the northwestern corner of the house. Many times during the month, we will wake up to find that it is frozen. I am not a fan of the cold weather, but I am happy to be here so I can be near my family. After all, I have never lived anywhere else.
January is usually mild here in Mississippi with highs around 50s but sometimes we do get snow/ice but not often
January in Queensland Australia is hot: 35-40 degrees C (95-105F). Likely to be wet so everything grows well. Very thankful for air conditioners!
It’s always cold. Indiana. So you curl up in a comfy chair with a book & blanket, fall asleep ? & nap. Wake up fix hot chocolate with marshmallows & get back to reading.
In Oregon it’s typically rainy and over cast, on a rare occasion we have snow. It is also my mom’s birthday month so we have that to celebrate.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
January here is very cold and snowy outside.
I go out only when needed.
But I get a lot of reading and sewing done during this month.
I also make my own greeting cards so I start planning during January.
Our son was born Jan 8th so we do go out and celebrate with a movie and dinner. Well see what happens this year.
He will be 36. Wow how time flies
My great niece will be turning 4 Jan 1st so I am sure my sister will have a birthday party for her. I look forward to this.
I also like to put up a lot of food in the freezer
January in Salem, Oregon is WONDERFUL…other than cold, but average year round temp. is 55; wet, but that goes with winter and therefore lots of green grass and pine trees to be viewed; and, sometimes gray skies which means a great time to stay inside and craft! Living with Covid everywhere, I stay busy making hand made greeting cards in my 8th floor one-bedroom apartment with a view of the Willamette River (Independent Living in a continuing care community). Any weather is good for me to make a card or two…bringing joy to me as well as those receiving a card. Makes me HAPPY!!!
Here in south Louisiana it’s mostly warm. Sometimes we have a few nights in a row below freezing then it warms back up. I look forward to this time because the summers are so hot.
January in South Carolina is unpredictable. It is usually colder than December and when we see our first snow storm if we are going to get one during that winter. In the past it was a time to recuperate from the holiday frenzy that starts at Halloween and goes on through New Years Day, but this year is going to be so different. I think it will still be a time of reflection on the last year, but the exhaustion will not be there.
Here in Oregon anything goes! it could be warm and sunny —or cold and snowy —or cool and rainy. I take advantage of outdoors for the warm and sunny and flowers popping u. Those other two types of days — hunker down with a good book, craft project, IPad games and a cup of tea or hot chocolate. Dressed in flannel pants and a long sleeve shirt, I get comfortable in my favorite chair.
Living the dream in Montana! Winter has its adventures, opportunities to experience the great Rocky Mountains outdoors with cross country or downhill skiing. I appreciate the quiet and stillness of the cold,snowy days. Best enjoyed cozied in with good books ! January usually brings a new view of how to make the most of these winter days with creative projects and the privilege of grandchildren close by.
Here in the Midwest, I expect cold with some snow and ice possible! I’m thankful we installed a wood-burning heater several years ago and I can back up to the fire!
In Florida it will be cold, but not like the rest of our country. If it is raining it will be a damp cold and I hate those daysl
In Utah, it’s cold and usually on the gray side. It is for sure, my least fave month of the year. My husband, it’s his favorite month of good skiing and that’s his favorite thing to do! The grandkids’ too. All of them ski or snowboard and so it’s their favorite month, as well. Wishing all a very Happy New Year!
January in North Dakota is really cold with lots of snow usually. The temperatures frequently are below zero and may even be as low as -20 to -30 for days at a time. We usually get a lot of snow in January (which I don’t really mind unless I have to shovel it) but when it quits, that is when the really cold come in (which I do not like)
Here in South Florida, and when I grew up in Puerto Rico, Christmas has always been warm, with sunny days, and beautiful palm trees. Still decorate the home and put up 2 nativity sets.
January here in Central Indiana is typically cold and snowy. It is not as snowy as it was when I was growing up, but enough sometimes that my kids wishes come true and they get a 2-hour delay from school. They prefer those over a snow day because they have changed those from when we were kids. Now they have virtual days with their teachers, no day off for snow.
I work for a CPA so January for me starts a very busy time with no time off and OT mandatory so I look forward to it being over LOL.
January in Ohio is usually snow, ice, cold and woodburner. Time for reading and ordering seeds. The days lengthen to 10 hours near the end of the month and growth in my high tunnels resumes for the wintered over greens. Finally we are on the upward roll to spring.
January here in New York City is a very cold month and quite often there is snow. In a “normal world” I was pretty happy during January. I would bundle up and go for long walks with my best friend….Afterwards we would stop off for hot chocolate. Another favorite actvity was ice skating at Rockerfeller Center. Finally, even though I have not been a kid for many years I also enjoyed building snowmen.
Obviously things are very different now so I will be spending a lot of time inside this winter which kind of stinks, but thankfully I have online Bible Study, knitting, crocheting and of course reading to keep me occupied.
January in my family is birthday month! Both my brother & me, then his oldest daughter & her mom. His daughter, her mom & me are all the same week! We always say we’ve been friends since birth cause she was born the day before me & we shared the same nursery together ?
In the greater Houston, Texas area, it’s generally a wet/damp cold that really does a number on the elderly with joint and bone issues. There may be one or two evenings that are cold enough to light a fire in the fireplace. For me as a native Houstonian, it feels bitterly cold and I long for summers which are hellishly hot. A heavy sweater or hoodie is all the outerwear needed. I do not even own a winter coat – don’t need it for the most part. The short hours of daylight lead into longer hours of darkness providing the perfect foil for reading. The star magnolia starts to show its buds for the February burst of purple blooms.
Now, mind you, there is rarely snows down here unlike our northern neighbors. But when it does, we are pretty much shut down – work, roads, schools, etc. – as we are not prepared for this. It is a time of bewilderment of the fluffy clumpy flakes that fall to invade our warm climate. Once the children make snow angels in the one or two inches of snow, they make little six inch tall snowmen from the accumulations on the patio furniture or barbeque pits as most flakes don’t stick. These snowmen are gingerly placed in the freezer to keep them from melting, so those parents who must work will be able to view their handiwork when they return home. We get really excited when snow is in the forecast and children press their faces to the windows to see the first flakes, even if they melt immediately upon hitting the ground.