Serving Size, Milestones and the Life Expectancy of a Cookie
Long before the nutrition label was even a glimmer in the FDA’s eye, my mother developed her own system for serving sizes. Cookies, for example: one for your mouth and one for each hand, ergo, three cookies is a serving. That’s the system under which I lived until adulthood when, rank having its privileges, serving size was what I wanted it to be. Except in front of my kids. I confess, I imposed the tyranny of the three cookie rule on my children, even as I swept the crumbs of my own cookie excess under the proverbial rug.
At least until I heard the first stirrings of discontent. There were grumblings about the injustice of 12-year-olds and 6-year-olds getting the same number of cookies. Didn’t I realize they had different capacities and caloric needs?!
And so, after some negotiation, a new distribution system was established. It was decreed that once a subject achieved the milestone of double digits (age 10), they would graduate from a three cookie serving, hereafter known as the Three Cookie Club, and move to the Four Cookie Club. The peasants rejoiced and there was much anticipation of tenth birthdays, while those under the age of ten looked longingly at their elder brother’s enhanced cookie status.
I got to thinking about Cookie Club logistics while brainstorming gift ideas for my father-in-law, who recently celebrated a major milestone birthday. I wanted to give him ninety of something. My husband’s father loves my mother-in-law, golf, the Yankees and sweets. Though I’m not 100% sure of the actual ranking.
He and my mother-in-law just celebrated 65 years of wedded bliss, he plays golf three times a week, the Yankees are still in it and if I’ve heard him say, “I’ll have my dessert in the other room, Marlene!” once, I’ve heard him say it a thousand times. So baked goods seemed like a good option. And that made me wonder what level of cookie nirvana a nonagenarian would attain.
The Ninety Cookie Club was born.
Although ninety cookies at once would be a lot. Even for me.
I worked up a plan for a Cookie-a-Day for ninety days: seven cookies delivered every Sunday for 13 weeks. My husband thought it sounded like a lot of work (he knew he was the clean up committee), but I had that figured out, too. I’d make a batch of cookies, pack up a week’s worth and freeze the rest - guaranteed inventory!
And that’s where the life expectancy of a cookie comes into play.
Cryogenics aside, no substantive discussion of cookie longevity can be had without knowing what kind of cookies are on the table. With all due respect to the artisans who make the fancy sugar cookies with royal icing, those are show cookies, not eating cookies. I’m a basic baker with a fondness for old school favorites. What these sweet little comfort foods lack in looks, I try to make up for in packaging.
Based on experience and my mother-in-law’s advice, I started with a short list of cookies I knew my father-in-law would enjoy. Most fall within my cookie repertoire and are likely to survive the freezer.
As you might imagine, I’ve dedicated myself to some serious cookie R&D in the past several weeks. I have the pounds to prove it.
Here’s what I’ve whipped up so far:
Week 1: Broke a cardinal rule of baking-for-others and mixed up a variety I’d never made before - without even doing a test batch! - Coconut Macaroons, his favorite. Yes, there’s room for improvement, but they were edible. I may practice perfecting them for the final week.
Week 2: My mother’s Spice Cookies, some people call them Molasses Cookies. They’re one of my favorites, spicy goodness you can count on.
Week 3: Brownie Bites, suggested by my mother-in-law. Just have to remember not to overfill the mini muffin cups – just a tablespoon of batter per mini muffin cup for a perfect bite, not a chocolate eruption.
Week 4: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, another staple from my Mom. Good to remember to err on the less cooked side with these. I might’ve overcooked one sheet, but had enough good cookies for Sunday delivery. Phew.
After four weeks of old school, I was itching to experiment, so I googled recipes for “crispy, chewy cookies.” Pays to do your homework because…
Week 5: Lemon Crinkle Cookies. To Die For. I think they’re my new favorite. I even made them twice more that week outside of the NCC.
Week 6: Date Bars. If you want to get into the dating pool, this is the place to jump in. Huge hit.
I’ve been baking every Sunday morning and making up a package for my father-in-law (more than 7 cookies, so he can share with his lovely wife), attaching ribbons and a tag with a relevant picture and notation of the week’s variety. I drop them off on Sunday afternoon and get to enjoy a visit, just me and my in-laws, which is really the best part.
It should be noted that I’ve tested all the aforementioned recipes to see that they freeze well. I can state unequivocally that they are delicious and entirely edible right out of the freezer.
Whether they actually hold up after thawing will require further research.
Need a cookie fix? I can hook you up! Links in images below and in text above.
Which is your favorite?
