White Chocolate Brownie Cookies and Serving each other

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small 

things with great love.” - Mother Teresa

We were with some friends this weekend and one of the guys was joking with his wife and said something like, "Woman, get me a beer"...this was all in good fun and we started talking about spouses demanding things like this from each other.  When you demand things from your spouse or anybody they are less likely to do it, and will probably make them angry.

While we were discussing this topic I was reminded of a conversation I had a few years ago with a woman who had been happily married for about 40 years.  I asked her what was the secret to their marriage?  She responded with this: "Every morning when we wake up he takes a shower and I make him a cup of coffee.  When he gets out of the shower the hot cup of coffee is waiting for him.  He starts his day knowing that he is loved and cherished by me, and I start my day knowing that I am needed and appreciated.  Then at the end of the day I take my shower and when I get out a hot cup of tea is waiting on my night stand for me.  So, I end my day knowing I am loved and cherished and he ends his day knowing he is needed and appreciated.  This simple act of serving and taking care of each other really gave them both the right attitude towards each other in their marriage.

Now I know I am no expert in marriage, seeing as I have been married less then a whopping 2 years...but we are definitely happier when we are making an effort to serve and help each other.  While I am nursing baby he asks what he can do to help me, when he gets home I try to have dinner ready for him, when I am low on gas in my car he makes a quick trip to fill up my car, when he has work parties I make his cookies to bring.  At the end of the day everyone wants to feel loved, appreciated, and needed - and this is truly a key to a happy marriage.  Instead of saying "woman, get me a beer" or "husband empty the trash" - maybe we should all be looking for ways we can serve our spouses before they have to ask?

This doesn't just apply to marriages, but to all relationships...if we keep asking ourselves how can we serve others and make them feel loved, appreciated and needed...how amazing would that be?

One of the ways I make my husband happy is by making him cookies...way too many cookies...these cookies are our new favorites and we indulge in them a few times a week.  Like all my cookie recipes I make a batch, scoop them, freeze the dough raw, and then pop a few into our oven or toaster oven when we need some dessert...which happens to be every darn night in our household...we are seriously cookies addicts up in here!  If you over bake these cookies you will be disappointed...take them out of the oven even if they don't look cooked...trust me on this. : )

White Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 stick unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white chocolate chips*

Melt butter and unsweetened chocolate together — you can do this on the stove over very low heat, stirring constantly until almost melted. Take this off the heat, stir until completely melted and stirred together.

Whisk sugars into melted butter and chocolate, then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Whisk in baking soda and salt. Add cocoa powder and stir to combine. Then add flour and stir until just combined. Allow batter to cool 5-10 minutes. Then add white chocolate chips and stir until combined.

Scoop cookies out using a 1 TBS ice cream scoop onto parchment paper and place in freezer for at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 350°F 

While oven is preheating remove cookies from freezer and place a few inches apart from each other onto a parchment lined baking sheet...they don't spread that much.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, at which point they will still definitely look under baked, but you should take them out if a fudgy-centered cookie is your goal...which it should be : ) 

*Milk, semi-sweet, dark or peanut butter chips also work well in this recipe.