The Moment I Understood Why People Like Baking

(#10) Master 25 New Recipes

1. Stuffed Peppers
2. Risotto
3. Polenta
4. Beef Brisket
5. French Onion Soup
6. Chocolate Chip Cookies

I feel about baking the way many people I know feel about cooking. Intimidated, frustrated and like I'm missing the point- is it really worth the hassle when I could just shove Oreo's in my face to my heart's content?

But today something changed.

Ronnie is out at a fantasy football draft so I have the house to myself for a few hours. I had just finished my dinner and I felt like having something sweet. Unfortunately I did not feel like driving myself to the store. Then I had a thought- what are cookies made out of? Like, sugar, flour, and stuff, right? I think I have all of those things!

I Googled "cookie recipe" and got this. And I realized...I DID have all of those ingredients.

Is this what it feels like to be a real adult? Having a legit pantry that enables you to whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies on a whim? If so, my life just became awesome. 

This isn't going to be one of those posts where I walk you through the recipe, because I'm sure most of you are much better cookie-makers than myself. Also, because I'm terrified of baking, I actually followed the above recipe exactly. I even sifted the flour! Who is this mature person??

Also I have no idea how or why I have parchment paper.

Since Ronnie still isn't home yet I didn't trust myself to bake them all at once. Here's hoping I don't eat six cookies before the night is over.

Anyway, TADAA!

Where once I had a random assortment of ingredients that I didn't even know I had in the back of my cabinets, I now have cookies. Not the best cookies I've ever had, certainly. But cookies, basically materializing out of thin air. 

I GET it. I now understand why people like baking.

Look out world. It's about to get real.