I have some exciting news! First Look, Then Cook has finally joined the Instagram revolution! I know I have been horrible about posting this year, and if you could shadow me for a day, you would completely understand why – but I figured this would be a great way to be able to share more with you – and not just what I am posting on the blog – but the amazing sandwich I ate yesterday, and other foods that I find when I travel. I am super excited about it – so please check it out! Right now I don’t have any followers – who will be my first? Now for the post, as you can see by the picture, that has been ready now for a while…but is there ever a bad time to make cookies?
Making a decision is tough enough. But imagine if you felt like everyone should have a say in every decision made – and worse, that everyone needs to agree. You might feel good because your opinion really does matter – but imagine how often in life you can get everyone to agree on something. Sometimes it is good for someone to make a decision that you don’t agree with – it opens your mind up to new ideas, to take risks, and to grow as a person.
Now think about applying that strictly to food – can you imagine if everyone in your family had to agree on what you made for dinner every night? Wow, what a nightmare. I would say that we have a 70% hit rate at home – where the majority of the time, everyone is happy with the dinner options – but there are definitely some times when my children are not happy. Then out of those times, I would say that 50% of the time, they end up really liking it anyway. Those are pretty good numbers right there. And because of that, I continue to stretch the boundaries – making sure they are continuously trying new things.
There are other times when everyone is super excited about what I am making, and then the outcome is not what was expected. I found this recipe in Bon Appetit, and it had been a while since I made some cookies – so I decided to give them a try. The batter was delicious, but I decided to make the cookies smaller than they suggested in the recipe – and unfortunately I probably cooked them a little longer than I should have. It did not impact the flavor at all, but these were definitely more on the crispy side. My older daughter LOVED them, but my younger one, not so much. She only likes soft chewy cookies, and although she did give them a try, they were just not her favorite. Oh well, you can’t please everyone all the time – but that’s ok. It was still an excellent decision to make the cookies.
Please note – I left the recipe exactly as it was printed below, and if you decide to make the cookies smaller, I would only cook them about 8 minutes max.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika
- 1½ cups (packed) light brown sugar
- 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1¼ cups bittersweet chocolate chunks or chips
- Flaky sea salt
First Look, Then Cook 