My grandmother’s birthday today and to celebrate we had lunch at the local leagues club. Just the four of us – Nan, Mum, Jo and myself. I finally got to see Nan’s new place – just down the road from the house where I used to live about 12 years ago. I am kicking myself that it was so easy to find: when I was looking for the address on my own I thought it was in an entirely different part of the suburb. Why roadmaps were invented I guess.
Nan says it is a surprise to realise she is now 84 years old, she never thought she would reach that age. Looking around her flat, there are photos of her as a young woman and spread out on the walls are photos of her children, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I wonder what it feels like, to have all these descendants?
I made her some cookies, using Sapph’s Cafe Choc Chip Cookies recipe with crushed macadamia nuts and white chocolate instead of the choc bits. Strictly speaking I shouldn’t have, since Nan is diabetic and has to watch her diet. I figured she shouldn’t be deprived of yummy sweet things on her birthday, and I rather think she agreed!
Cafe Choc Chip Cookies
180 grams butter, softened
1/3 cup caster sugar
125 ml sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups SR flour
250 grams choc bits
Preheat oven to 180 Celsius.
Place butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until light and creamy. Beat in the condensed milk. Add the flour and mix on low speed until smooth. Stir in the choc bits until well combined.
Roll about 2 teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on baking paper-lined trays. Press each ball gently with a floured fork.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool on trays. Store in airtight containers.
Makes about 30.