Live A Little

Here's the thing.  I'm all for healthy eating and being trim and slim.  These are all good things.  But what worries me is that we've forgotten what eating well means.  Well I haven't, but some people have.

I was chatting with my good friend Deborah earlier today and we were talking about all these crazy eating schemes our friends are engaging in.  Deborah and I, we're cut from the same cloth.  We are believers in three meals a day and no substitutions.  We both agree that eating a cookie won't kill you.  In fact, eating an occasional cookie might actually be good for you.  Imagine that.

I'm not advocating stuffing your face with cookies and forgoing all leafy greens.  What I am suggesting is that it seems as though the simple act of eating and enjoying food has been forgotten in favor of cutting calories and carbs.  Life is just too short.

I am a firm believer in balance and portion control.  I use heavy cream when I cook and I cook chicken with the skin on.  Why?  Because it tastes better.  And you know what?  I'll bet that eating the tastiest version of whatever it is you're eating actually allows you to eat less.  I've never done any controlled research on this but I know myself.  I'm much happier eating one delicious cookie than I am eating a box of low-cal, no fat, low-carb crunchy things.  I'm much happier allowing myself to enjoy life.  And eating delicious food, believe or not, is in my humble opinion, one of the things that makes life worth living.

So go ahead and eat a cookie.  Or have a slice of that olive bread you've been eyeing.  You know what it is you really want.  Go ahead.  Live a little.

Recipe:  Peanut Butter Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies


This recipe came about as I was talking with Deborah.  I was thinking about making some peanut butter cookies and hit on the idea of these.


Ingredients:


3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup Nutella
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups mini chocolate chips

Directions:


Preheat the oven to 350.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugars, scraping down the sides once or twice.  Add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients and combine.  Add the Nutella and the peanut butter and combine.  Add the chocolate chips and combine until they are well distributed in the dough.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop  the dough onto the lined cookie sheets about 3 inches apart.  (You should have six cookies per sheet.)  Flatten out the cookies slightly and use a fork to make a crisscross patter.

Bake for 20 minutes (these are big cookies) rotating once after 10 minutes.  Let cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer to a wire rack to complete cooling.

Makes approximately 24 (very) large cookies.