Espresso Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Mother's Day!

This post goes out to my mommy.  This is the first year in a while where I have been able to be home for Mother's Day. Madison usually starts finals right about now and in the past I have always had a final on Mother's Day.  This year, I'm in the School of Education, and we do not have any finals! SO LUCKY! I mean, I didn't sleep much at all for the past three months and one class was 12 hours a week, so I am so grateful that we don't have a finals week.  I get to be home and I get to spend the day with my mom!

My mom is my best friend and I look up to her in every way.  People are always asking me if I got my cooking and baking skills from her.  Surprisingly, she does not love to cook or bake that much! I think that what I did get from her was the desire to bring people together over food.  Growing up, she was always trying to get our whole family together for dinner, a feat that became super difficult as my brother and I became busier and busier with school and after-school activities.  However, our family dinners were a time where we were all expected to put down the homework and talk about our day.  Now, I am grateful for those dinners and I have become the type of person who loves to share food with people because it brings everyone together.

I love my mom so much.  She is inspiring and amazing.  Whenever I come home for a visit we go shopping and get lunch or pedicures.  She is fun and I have a great time with her.  We do yoga or pilates together and she has helped me to focus on fitness along with fun.  This is another thing that has influenced me as a foodie.  I love to cook and bake and I love to make things a little healthier.  However, I don't like making things TOO healthy (as in taking away taste).  In addition, my mom has been there for me through all my ups and downs.  She has taught me to do things that make me feel good and happy and to appreciate those things above everything else.  This has been a crucial lesson for me to learn and has helped to direct everything that I do.  It has inspired me to be the best camp director, friend, family member, cook, and future educator that I can be.  I know now that if I follow this advice.  I will find, as my mom has, great love and great happiness in life.  She is one of the most successful people I know and I hope to follow in her footsteps.

I decided to share a recipe with you that has my mom's name all over it.  They are dark chocolate chip cookies, with espresso powder mixed in.  The result: the perfect combination of chocolate and coffee that would make any coffee lover swoon.  My mom and I both love our coffee and chocolate.  There is always coffee brewing in the morning and trips to Starbucks are frequent.  For her birthday, the ice cream cake of choice is always a mocha flavor and of course we think of dark chocolate as being a healthy food! These cookies are perfect for her and so on this Mother's Day I bring to you: Dark Chocolate Espresso Cookies.

Dark Chocolate Espresso Cookies (adapted from Tracy's Culinary Adventures)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 tbsp sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
2 cups dark chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.  Slowly mix in the flour mixture until just combined.  Mix in the chocolate chips.
4. Drop tbsp sized balls of batter on the cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes.  Let cool.
Enjoy :)

Note: the original recipe made cookies that did not spread out very much.  Mine spread out more and were very chewy.  Not sure why, but they were still delicious! Enjoy :)

I do believe that every day should be Mother's Day.  Mom's are pretty fantastic and one day seems like so little in comparison to all that they do.  I mean, I physically would not be here with out her! Today we are going to the Cubs v. Brewers baseball game in Milwaukee and tonight, if all goes according to plan, I will be cooking up a special dinner for her! I love that I get to be here to spend the day with my mom and I think that is is the perfect way to kick of my summer vacation! Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I love you!