Cookie Lessons

On the surface, cookies are a simple dessert. They are made up of all the traditional elements used in baking--butter, sugar, flour and so forth. Yet in them is a sort of magic. In minutes, a cold dough is transformed to a melt-in-your-mouth, chocolate-oozing, close-your-eyes-in-delight respite. They have the power to turn sadness into satisfaction and a boring afternoon into a holiday. Some of the greatest lessons I have learned have involved baking cookies. Once, after baking into the wee hours of the night on December 23rd, I awoke the next morning to find an army of ants had invaded and attacked my gorgeous platter. After a few tears and a thorough spraying of raid, did I give up on my holiday giving? No, I threw away the disastrous remains and started again. In addition to instilling in me a sense of resilience in moments of crisis, I have learned to relish simple pleasures, and on occasion, take time for myself because I deserve it. While I have learned about disappointment as I scraped the burnt edges off of a batch after forgetting to set a timer, I also learned about the thrill of adventure when I tasted new flavors and tried new recipes. As I began to create my own recipes, I learned that not every attempt works the way you hope, but some are a homerun. True to all lessons in life, some are indeed bitter to swallow, but that just makes the taste of success that much sweeter. Tell us about the lessons you have learned from baking.