bobbi's cookies

People can have a way of impacting you regardless of how much time you've spent with them. 

I met my husband's late grandmother about 8 years ago. I relish the few days I stayed at her home that spring; the first and last time we would ever see each other.

​I remember sitting in the back seat driving up the winding hill to "The Ranch" through the jungle of tangelo trees. I sat on the floor stringing charms together to make wind chimes in Bobbi's tiny house. There were horses, gardens and so many sculptures. There was a bathtub of bears and a painting of naked ladies right above it. It was a bizarre and enchanting place. 

Over the years, I was told that Bobbi took a certain liking to me. She sent me a fantasy story book, "Ariel," with a unicorn on the front; uncanny since it was tattooed on my skin a few years prior. Dan would get cards covered in a myriad of magazine clippings and doodles, sometimes with a little note wishing me well. 

​Dan's dad would travel back and forth to San Diego to see her before she passed. While she rested, he would bake there in her kitchen to stay busy. He used rind from the tangelos in the orchard to make oatmeal cookies with all of the trimmings. He still makes these cookies. Whenever he does, he'll tell me this story and about that time honing this recipe.

They're my absolute favorite thing to eat when Dan and I come home for Christmas. They're a constant reminder of her presence in my life. This year, I felt like I needed to make my own version.

In celebration of Bobbi. ​

Bobbi's Cookies
Makes 18 cookies
Bake time: 15 minutes per baking sheet

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup quick oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Rind from 1 large orange (optional)
3/4 cup roughly chopped dark chocolate
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional) 

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together, including the oats, and set bowl aside. 
3. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or using your handheld mixer), blend the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and orange rind on medium speed until light and fluffy. 
4. Add the egg yolks and egg one at a time; beating each in until just combined, and then add the vanilla extract. 
5. Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Then add the chopped chocolate. 
6. Scoop cookie dough onto pan using an ice cream scoop and put 6 scoops onto your cookie sheet. Bake for 16 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer them to a cooling rack.