JOn's Famous Cookies

My Famous Cookies!

Do NOT Lick The Screen! :)

My Famous Cookies
In my last blog, I wrote about a favorite Thanksgiving. My cookies were a major part of that day. I have always wanted to write the story of My Famous Cookies, and this inspired me. I have scribbled the recipe down for others many times, but this is the very first time I have written the entire story, and included every little detail in the mixing, and baking process. The photos showing this process were taken two years ago, but show the detail, and process very well.

Anyone who has been in my life has experienced one of my magical creations, known as JOn’s Famous Cookies. By the age of twelve, I had decided most cookie recipes did not create a cookie to be called Famous, or Magical. I started playing, creating, experimenting, and taking notes about what worked, and what did not. The result is what is known as Jon’s Famous Cookies.

Awww, wasn't I cute at Twelve? :)

But it did not just happen when I was twelve. This cookie, literally, was twelve years in the making. The history of my cookie is almost as fun as the actually cookie itself.

When I was a kid, I was introduced to the magic of food… Not just food, but the science behind it, that made it so wonderful. Food has simple, utilitarian purposes, no doubt. As living beings, we need food regularly to continue functioning. But understanding the science behind the food takes food from simply creation and consumption to a level far beyond simple.
Enjoying food, engaging the mind, playing with science, knowing about every ingredient, and how it changes when it is combined with another makes for something to be thoroughly enjoyed… From the moment you buy the individual ingredients to the moment you wipe your face after the last morsel has been consumed.

I learned how a wonderful creation did far more than just give you something to eat.
All my life, I have been fascinated with every aspect of food… The way it works, how it is grown, produced, created, transported, packaged, and sold. There is not a detail I would not pursue. I wanted to know what made it so versatile, functional, and practical.

My first official cooking class was when I was five. But I started my education the day I was born~ Literally! I was born allergic to milk, breast milk, and normal baby-formulas. The doctors were baffled (See? I baffled doctors from the moment I entered this Earth!) They could not find anything my body could have for nutrition, so I was kept alive for two week on an IV through my ankle. Finally, they figured it out, and put me on a soy-formula. There have always been peculiarities in the way foods react in my body compared to anybody else. It turned-out that I had a whole list of allergies… and they did not always stay the same. As a newborn, infant, and toddler, it was always a challenge to make sure I got nutrition that my body could handle. I became aware of food, and how it does different things at different times early-on in life.

By the age of two, I was actively involved in the food and how it worked. I was always in the kitchen, watching, learning, understanding all the little nuances of what was happening. Every adult in my life allowed me to watch, help, learn, and understand. When it came to baking, cooking, creating, and presenting, I was fascinated with every single thing involved. The idea that you could change a simple ingredient in so many wonderful, fascinating, and creative ways just by adding something to it was magical to me! I was not content to just be given food to eat. I was making sure I understood how the food was created. I noticed how it turned-out, and how it changed in the process.
I was fortunate that everyone who ever did anything in a kitchen, would also allow me to learn from them. They would let me learn, watch, help, and be involved. I had the pleasure to be allowed to help in every kitchen I was near. These included school cafeterias, camp-kitchens, other people’s homes, restaurants, community events, and almost anyplace else you could imagine where food was created. Most kids thought it was a bother, or a chore to be made to help in the kitchen. I found it to be a privilege, a thrill, an education, and something I totally thrived on.

I took every available class I could get. I always found it interesting, and often frustrating, how many of the instructors did not understand the science behind the food. They were attempting to teach something they actually knew nothing about. I learned that in many people’s mind, the whole idea of learning to cook, or bake was simply about following someone else’s instructions. When I would ask about the reactions, or how things behave once they are combined, the instructors would get upset, and tell me it did not matter… I just needed to know how to follow instructions. My contention was the whole reason for taking classes was to learn about the food. I already knew how to follow instructions. It seemed I found way too many classes that focused only on duplicating what a recipe said to do. I found that to be a worthless way to teach. It takes absolutely no talent, skill, or understanding to simply follow a recipe. What was the point of taking a class, if you only wanted to copy someone else? Isn’t the whole idea of a class, to actually learn, grow, understand, and have a better, well-rounded knowledge? To me, cooking and baking was more about understanding the product, the science, and how they all worked, changed, and reacted in different situations. I started my life with the science-approach to food, and would not settle for anything less as I grew and attempted to further my understanding, and knowledge, I kept seeking those who actually taught about the food. It took some effort, but I found that for every five teachers who just taught “follow instructions”, there actually was one who taught about the food. It took some searching, but we found them. My mom found that by signing me up for specialty classes with only a few students in each was far more beneficial than just the classes most people took. We found summer schools, and community colleges offered much more detailed lessons than the average classes. I learned early as a kid, that it seemed most people who took any kind of class only did so to get a tiny-bit of understanding about the subject. Most people were not interested in truly learning, let alone mastering everything there was to know. This always baffled me. Why would they NOT want to learn?

This desire to totally understand how food worked, and not willing to settle for less than magical, is what eventually led to the creation of what is now called JOn’s Famous Cookie. It took me twelve years, but the moment I finally created This Cookie, I knew I had succeeded. I had the winner. Ironically, I have never attempted to create another cookie recipe since. I created the one I had been seeking. My work was done.

This is not just my opinion. Yes, I came to this conclusion immediately, but Ever since then, I have been told by thousands of others who have had my cookies. People always ask for my cookies. They tell others about the experience. People who have never met me, or even tried my cookies, request them.

It has been suggested that I should enter them in competitions, and county fairs. Everyone is convinced I would win. But in my opinion, I have already won. A competition is not necessary.
Another fun irony about my cookies: I have had many gourmet cookie shops ask if they could sell my cookies in their stores. I would love to let them... If there was anybody who could duplicate the same cookie as I make. Because these cookies are made with my love, character, and personality, it is impossible for another to create the same cookie. The recipe is not complex, nor does it have any secret ingredients. When others attempt to create the same cookies as I do, they just come out different.

I have had great friends come into my kitchen, watch every step, take their own notes, and not miss a single detail… Yet, when they attempt to recreate the same magic, they cannot. I have even had them make ‘em in my kitchen right beside me, doing the exact same as me… but the magic is personal.
After years of observing this, it became clear that it was not just a fluke, or that maybe one tiny step was being missed. It simply is due to the fact that part of what makes my cookies what they are, is they are MY Cookies. My cookies are made with my love, my character, and my personality. These cookies all have a little bit of me in them… and we all know there IS only one Me! :)

When others create the cookie, they add a little bit of themselves. The cookie then becomes Their cookie… with their love, their character, and their personality. The cookies always turn out wonderful, and are as wonderful as that person is. But they are not my cookies. So, when you make these cookies, they will be YOUR Cookies. :)

So, Now you know the story behind My Famous Cookies. Are Ya ready to create some of your own??
Now comes the fun part….

Enough about the story. It is time to get all the supplies you will need.
Do ya wanna start with the ingredients, or the materials? (either way you’re gonna need a shopping trip!)

You will need the following:

• Two Air-Bake cookie sheets. (Not the non-stick ones… those make the cookies too dark…and, YES… Two. Not one, not three..exactly two… you will see why later).
• Three wire-grid cooling racks. (Yes, three… You will see why later)
• A Very Large stainless steel mixing bowl. Yup, Only one bowl... but it's gotta be large!(You can use any kind of bowl, I like Stainless)
• One Large, sturdy wooden, or bamboo mixing spoon
• A  Large nylon, or silicone cookie-spatula … and it needs a straight, not curved, front-edge… and it should be beveled, so it slides easily under the fresh-baked, slightly-gooey cookies. (You will not be happy with the results if ya use a tiny one)
• Glass Four-cup measuring cup (I Prefer Glass… because you can see very grain of the ingredient inside... but any will work)
• Two individual One-cup measuring cups (‘Cuz If ya have only one, ya gotta wash it out to re-use it)
• A Measuring Teaspoon (Only one. And ya won’t need an entire set, either!
• A sturdy rubber, or silicone spatula (The kind for scraping the bowl, and measuring cups)
• An Oven … believe it or not, a regular oven works best for these. Convection ovens are great, but not for these.(Can ya believe how demanding I am?? I Actually expect you to have an oven for baking the cookies in!) :)
• Paper Towels (You can use any you wish… but I Like the ones with fun-prints) :)
• Good music to dance to (This is a Key factor… ya gotta be in a great mood, or the cookies will taste like your mood)

Now for the Ingredients:
(I will list Name-Brands on many of the items. This is kinda critical for the quality, and consistency. Not every item needs to be a brand-specific… but those that I list should be. This is based on years of experience, and finding that the generic, or other-than-listed brands often do not create the same desired results.)

• 2-cups Butter-Flavor Crisco at room temperature (Gotta be butter-flavor!... And, gotta be Crisco-brand)
• 2-cups Sugar
• 4 Eggs (regular, everyday Large eggs.)… Preferably Chicken… Not Duck(especially not Rubber Duck!), Robin, Pteradactyl, or Ostrich! :)
• 2-cups C&H Light-Brown Sugar (ya want the light-brown, NOT the Dark Brown)
• 4-teaspoons Real Vanilla Extract (I Never use imitation… Always the Real Thing)
• 4 to 5 cups Flour
• 2-teaspoons Baking Soda
• 2-teaspoons Baking Powder
• About 1-teaspoon Salt (Do NOT Attempt to go all healthy, by omitting the salt. It is Crucial)
• 4 to 6 cups Quaker Oatmeal (It’s gotta be Quaker… And Regular Oats, NEVER Instant)
• 2 bags Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 2 bags Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips
• About 2-cups Walnut Pieces (I buy the halves, and crush them into small pieces myself... not crumbs, but good-sized crunchy pieces.) Make sure to sniff them to be sure they are not rancid… Walnuts do not have a long shelf-life, and turn rancid easily. Make sure they smell fresh, or they will ruin your cookies.

Now we get to the Fun!
This is best done on an empty stomach, because you will not have an empty stomach by the time you are done! :)

Proper attire is a must to help create the right cookie! :)

• Wearing the proper attire is critical for helping with your mood, and DOES affect the final outcome of your cookies! If you desire fun, and silly, or if you are into an apron, and chef’s hat… whatever the right, fun, and happy outfit for you is what is needed. (If you should to choose the “No Outfit”, be sure to keep your bits from hot surfaces.)
• Turn your fun, upbeat music up really loud. …and don’t forget to sing along, and dance, too!!
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• Using a paper-towel, lightly grease the baking sheets with the Butter Flavor Crisco. You will only need to grease each sheet once, so grease each one evenly. Now, set the cookie-sheets on top of the oven, so they warm-up. (The warm cookie sheet is critical to a perfect cookie.) If your oven-top does not get warm, then pop them into the oven for a few minutes…just enough to warm them, and make the grease glossy.
• In your large mixing bowl, combine the Crisco, and Sugar. Use the Wooden Spoon to cream them together, being sure to clean the edges of the bowl with the back of the spoon. Notice how the texture totally changes as you cream it together. You will end-up with a really-smooth, yet grainy blend. It will not be lumpy at all. Be sure to smell it. (You will see why.)
• Now add the Eggs, Brown Sugar, and Vanilla. Stir/ blend it all well. As you mix, notice how the texture, and smell changes. If you make sure to mash it against the sides of the bowl with the back of the spoon, you will not have any lumps. You may need to use the rubber spatula to scrape the spoon, and sides occasionally… to ensure even mixing, and no ingredients left behind. You will notice how the aromas all blend together, creating an incredibly wonderful sensation. Then as you notice the new smell, you also notice you can smell how each ingredient also stands out by itself. Take a taste. What do ya discover? Remember, I did not create these just for a food to eat. Part of the magic is the smell, and taste, and feel every step along the way. You might be surprised how much more enjoyable it is to create when you know how each step smells, tastes, and feels.

Adding Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, and Salt

• Now it is time to add the Flour… but Do Not Add All of It at Once. Add only 4-cups. Sprinkle the Baking Soda, Baking Powder, and Salt over the flour. Using your wooden spoon, stir and blend, being sure to scrape clean the sides of the bowl with the back of the spoon. Keep blending, making sure to get everything off the bottom, and sides, and also mashing against the sides to get all the lumps out. As you blend it, you will see, and feel the texture totally become almost like a paste. It takes a little effort, and can be tiring, but keep blending. You want it to become a fairly smooth, thick, semi-solid substance. It will become seemingly dry, and the sides of the bowl will suddenly start to become clean. If it has the right amount of flour, it will become one solid blob, and there will be almost no dough stuck to the sides of the bowl. It will literally, clean the bowl itself. If it does not, then add a bit more flour... but only a little at a time. You can always add more, but cannot take it away once it is added. Your hands will feel the thickness. Your nose will smell the wonder, and your eyes will see a magical transformation. It is hardly sticky, and almost seemingly dry to the touch. Now taste it again. You can taste the creation happening, the ingredients changing. Can you also pick out each of the individual ingredients? You will also notice that it really IS sticky, but seemed dry when you touched it. Do you smell the new scent it gives off? Can you also pick out each individual ingredient’s smell? It may be tempting to eat handfuls right now, because it is sooo delicious at this point.
• Now it is time to get rid of the spoon. You probably noticed how stiff, and thick it was as you finished stirring.

Adding Oatmeal

• Now you will add The Oatmeal…But Do Not Add It All at Once. Do the same as with the Flour. About four cups to start with. The Oatmeal is the glue that will hold it all together. The Oatmeal will be what retains the moisture, adds the chewy-factor, and how much you add will determine if they are dry, or perfectly moist. Make sure your hands are clean. Now with your hands, Plunge right in! Just squish, mash, and mix it all up. Notice, it really is quite a sticky mess? Keep blending the oatmeal into the dough. Enjoy the feel, and smell. As you squish it between your fingers, enjoy every texture. As you blend, you will notice each individual oat becomes coated with the gooey dough. There will be no dry oats, and no clumps of non-blended oats. You likely will need to add at least one more cup of Oatmeal. Add it, and Mix some more. You will have to decide for yourself if it is the right amount. You want the dough to have abundant amounts of Oatmeal, so that is almost seems like the oatmeal is the base, and the rest of the brown-gooey dough is just the filler. You literally want to see no spot without Oatmeal… But also you should not see any clusters of Oatmeal without dough. Add some more if needed. Once you have the perfect blend, this step is done. It is Gooey, Sticky, and Messy… But not one bit is without Oatmeal. Notice it is much stickier now than it was before the Oatmeal is added. Can you figure out why? Now taste it again. What do you taste? Can you also taste each of the individual ingredients? What do you smell now? Notice how the scent has changed from sweet to rich? How many of the individual ingredients can you still smell?
• Now dump in All the Chocolate Chips, and Peanut Butter Chips. Do not mix them in yet.

Chocolate Chips, Peanut Butter Chips, and Walnuts

• Now it is time for the Walnuts. I like to crush the halves into pieces in my hands, and crumble them into the bowl as I go. You can use pre-crushed, or already small pieces if you wish. I enjoy the feel, and love the way when I crush them, it releases the fresh smell of the Walnut. By doing this, I can create the exact size of Walnut pieces I wish to have when I eat the cookie. I use about 2 cups of these… But you can add more, or less depending on your own desires.

As the final ingredient, the quantity will not affect the overall final product of the cookie. If I am baking these when my sister is around, I leave the Walnuts out, until I have put the first cookies on the baking sheet. Then, I will add the Walnuts to the rest of the batch. And similarly, when I am baking these for my friend Aimee, I withhold the Peanut Butter Chips until after the first batch is cooked. So, when it comes to the final three ingredients, you can omit, add, or even substitute some other ingredient.

Final Mixin, Squishin, and Blendin :)

• With your clean hands, it is time to get squishy again! Squish, blend, stir, and mix it all together. You will need to really work it to get everything all blended evenly. Enjoy the feel, as you blend it all in. This step is difficult, because the Chocolate Chips do not like to be buried in the dough. Chocolate chips like to stay out of the gooey stuff. But it is your job to make them become imbedded in it. You will not succeed in actually getting every chip to become part of the dough. (That will happen once you form the individual cookies.) Enjoy the feel as you blend it all in. Notice how the Chocolate Chips, Peanut Butter Chips, and Walnuts each have their very own feel? Notice how they each blend in differently? Notice you can still feel every single Oat in the already gooey dough? As you blend it, do you notice how the smells all come out? Now, taste it again. Do you notice how much it has changed again? Can you taste each individual ingredient?

The Finished Cookie Dough :)

This is your finished product. The taste, smell, and feel will only change once the baking process begins. And even then, it will change several times.

Now we get to the baking:
Be sure and wash all the stuck-on gooey dough from your hands, before attempting to make the individual cookies.
Your cookie sheets should have warmed-up by now, and the grease on them should be clear, and glossy.
Using your hands, form large balls of cookie-dough. If you make them small, they will not turn out right… part of this cookie is the ability to get crunchy outside, yet remain chewy on the inside. To get the correct size, imagine you are using my hands. You will only be able to fit 8 per sheet. Do not flatten them… leave them as whole blobs. Arrange them so they each have about 2-inches between other cookies. Place 3 on each edge, at least an inch-and a half from edge. And place 2, staggered in between the rows of 3. (see picture) When they bake, and melt, they will spread, and take up every inch of space. Eat a blob of cookie-dough.

Only 8 per cookie-sheet

As The cookies begin to Droop, and melt, Turn the pan around.
(Notice... the droop, and  spread is not yet significant, just beginning)

Set one sheet on top of the oven to keep it warm. Place the other sheet in the center of the oven, not touching any of the sides. (Only one sheet in the oven at a time. If you put two in, they do not bake evenly.) I wish I could tell you how long to bake them. But that is impossible, because these bake by the way they react, not by a timer. Watch the cookies. As they first begin to droop, and spread (see picture), rotate the sheet so the back now becomes the front.

Almost Done.. As soon as they flatten-out,
they need to come out of the oven!

Keep an eye on them, and when they look like they are close-to-done, but still a wee-bit unbaked, they are done. Pull them out now. Pull that sheet out, and set it on the cooling rack, leaving the cookies on the sheet.
Place the second cookie sheet in the center of the oven.

Just out of the oven, and on the rack.
Notice the cookies are still liquid, and gooey.
They will finish baking outside of the oven.

Do Not Do Anything with the ones that just came out of the oven. This is the final part of the baking process. (It is tempting to attempt to eat one of these fresh-out of the oven… DO NOT EAT IT YET! It is molten, and will burn you badly!)Smell it, look at it, and enjoy all there is to enjoy about how they have changed in front of you… but do not eat it yet.






Bake the ones in the oven exactly the same way you did the first. When you turn the pan around, Now is the time to do something with those on the cooling rack. (Remember, the sheet will still be very hot!) Using your cookie spatula, carefully remove each cookie, and gently place it on the second cooling rack. Each cookie will still be very gooey, and easily fall-apart if you are not careful. Using the cookie-spatula, set each cookie directly on the rack, not piled on the other. (DO NOT ATTEMPT to Eat it Yet… two more minutes, and it will have cooled enough for careful nibbling.)

Once you have removed all 8 cookies, use the flat-front-edge of the spatula to scrape off the cookie-sheet. There will remain a film of grease, but it should not have any cookie-bits. You want the film of grease, for the next batch. It might be tempting to use a paper-towel to completely wipe it clean, but you want that layer of grease to remain.

While the empty-sheet is still hot, shape, and arrange another 8 cookies onto it. Let it sit on the top of the oven so it stays warm. Eat another blob of dough. NOW you can EAT The Fresh-Baked Ones!
Watch the ones in the oven, and remember to pull them out before they are completely done. Place the sheet on the cooling rack. Place the one from the top of the oven inside. When those begin to droop, and you rotate the pan, it is time to take the others off the cookie sheet, and onto the cooling rack…. BUT be sure to place them on the Third rack.

You now have two full racks of cooling cookies, and one empty rack for the next hot sheet to come out of the oven.

Scrape the cookie-bits off the sheet. Make more cookies, and place them on the still-hot sheet, and place it on top of the oven. Eat another blob of cookie dough. Eat another warm cookie.
Repeat this cycle for every sheet. But when the third batch comes out of the oven, and the sheet is placed on the rack, you will now stack the first batch that was cooling, still leaving them on the rack, but now stacked, so you have room for the next set to be cooled. Eat another blob of cookie dough. Eat another warm cookie.

You will quickly find a rhythm, and get the timing down. Just remember to rotate the pan, pull them out before they are fully done, and let them finish cooking outside of the oven. Remember to place the next set on the sheet while it is hot. Stack the cookies only after the third set has come out of the oven, or they will not have set properly.

Finished Stacks of Magical Wonderment :)

By the time I pull the very last pan out of the oven, the kitchen is completely spotless. The Only dishes left to wash, are the one cookie sheet, the spatula, and the three cooling racks.

Leave the cookies on the cooling racks until they are completely cool. (If you have trouble with insects –such as ants- coming into your kitchen, and getting into anything left-out, I have a solution for that, too!... Place each rack in a shallow pan of water. A shallow baking pan works well. The ants will not cross the water… kinda like a moat around a castle. Just make sure the water is not up to the rack, or you will have wet cookies!)After the cookies have completely cooled, place them in air-tight containers. They are big, so not many will fit in any container, but the Gallon-size Ziplok baggies work well. These cookies travel well, so put some in your pack, and head-out! Even once these are completely cool, they will remain soft and chewy inside, yet crispy outside. If ya want it to be like it just came out of the oven, just pop it into the microwave for 10-seconds.





ENJOY JOn’s Famous Cookies! ~=:-)