Hobby or Obsession?

So when does a hobby become an obsession?  According to “popular internet search engine, Google”, a hobby is “an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time that gives pleasure”.  Hmmmm.  That could be almost anything.  Google also describes an obsession as “a idea or thought that continually intrudes or preoccupies one’s mind”.  Another hmmmm.  So, for someone to be obsessed with a hobby is not out of the ordinary, but BEING obsessed with a particular hobby COULD be out of the ordinary.  Once again, I digress, but this is how my mind works… wondering and sometimes a little off-center.  But, for now, let’s just stick to a hobby, that is not an obsession, and as far as I know is not classified in the DSM-10 …. baking.  And, in this particular case, finding and baking the “perfect” chocolate chip cookie.

Over the years, I’ve done A LOT of baking.  I mean A LOT!!!  I’ve baked for family and friends, I’ve baked for friends of friends, I’ve baked for co-workers, I’ve baked for people I don’t even know, I’ve baked for birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, engagements, holidays and just-because.  I’ve baked dozens of plates of cookies to deliver to acquaintances on Christmas Eve just to surprise them.  I’ve baked dozens of plates of cookies to bring to a cookie exchange and returned home with dozens of cookies that my dog wouldn’t eat.  I’ve baked and decorated cakes for celebrations, stopping short at wedding cakes – after all, who needs the pressure of assembling one of those – but I baked and decorated sheet cakes for a high school prom once which was a test of my inner strength.  Last year, I baked a dozen loaves of English Muffin Bread, wrapping and tying with a ribbon to give to family on Christmas.  I’ll let you know when this hobby becomes an obsession, as I don’t think I’ve reached that pinnacle quite yet.

One thing I’ve learned from all of this baking is that it has to be done with care and from the heart.  If you are missing those two ingredients, it is a chore and something that just has to be done, like paying bills.  And, we all know how much we love paying bills.  As you can see, I’ll use almost any excuse to bake something for someone that I think will be surprised and enjoy the results of my time and labor. To this day, my sons love when I bake for them and in particular my younger son Nick has been extremely supportive and encouraging about it.  For his birthday and Christmas he’ll remind me that he would just like me to send cookies.  I’ve sent numerous boxes to Seattle since he’s been living there, enough that he will be reminded of me and not so much that he’s going to think “Oh, mom’s cookies again”.  Whenever he and my daughter-in-law, Gina travel he’s almost certainly sure to tell me about a cute little bakery they visited that he could see me “having a place like that”.  I’ve reminded him that the work involved would make it less pleasurable and the idea of grinding out scones, cakes and cookies on a regular basis would be more like work… well, yes, of course.  But, for me, I enjoy doing it as a hobby with the focus of an individual session on a particular person or group that I am going to share from the heart with.  The catchphrase today is “my love language”.  And so, my love language is baking, which in turn is a way to say “I like you”, “I love you” or “I’m thinking of you”. 

The “perfect” chocolate chip cookie is rather subjective, everyone has their own particular tastes and preferences. For a long time I was insistent that they should be a more flat cookie with chocolate chips rising like little mountains through a buttery golden landscape.  The reason being, when visiting an elementary school friend, her mom baked cookies exactly like this for us and they obviously made quite an impression on me as I wanted to duplicate them for years.  While my son, Zac, was almost always pleased, Nick was the more critical one.  Or, should I say, the one more willing to offer a critique which was fine by me, as again, I wanted to please the recipient.  There have been many variations over the years … smaller, flatter, larger, puffier, crunchier, chewier, refrigerated before baking, not refrigerated before baking, gluten-free or rolled into a cone-shape before baking so that they stay puffed up.   Therefore, I have accepted there is no “perfect” chocolate chip cookie, but rather a “perfect at the moment” chocolate chip cookie.  At least, that’s my opinion.    So, let’s bake some cookies, shall we?

Today’s “perfect” chocolate chip cookie recipe:

Pre-heat oven to 350

Mix together:

½ cup butter

½ cup Crisco

Add in and beat until creamy (about 5 minutes):

¾ cup brown sugar

¾ cup white granulated sugar

Add in and beat until blended:

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Sift together and add slowly:

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Don’t overmix.

Add in:

2 cups chocolate chips – any variation

Drop by tablespoon (golf ball size) or small ice cream scoop onto parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 7 to 9 minutes until lightly golden brown (depending on your oven).  Center may still look slightly undone, but will continue baking.

Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!