Apple Chunkies -- The Cookie Day That Carried Us Through

Second week of December. Preparing for Christmas. Cookies Saturday with Josie and Gayle. We made 120 cookies in three shapes and three kinds of icing. Josie was in charge of decorating. Gayle was in charge of supervising Josie. I was in charge of moving trays.

Drove Tuesday, short.

Book two at 88,000 words. I am close. Sarah says 90,000 is the target for the first draft. I will be done in two weeks.

Gayle had a harder week. Tired all the time. Did not eat much. Slept most of Saturday. I took her to the doctor Friday. "The disease is progressing," the doctor said quietly, outside Gayle's earshot. "You are doing everything right. Keep doing it." I nodded. I drove Gayle home. She slept. I cried in the truck for ten minutes in the garage before going inside.

Sunday: soft food. Chicken and rice. Gayle ate a small bowl. She said, "Brenda. This is good." I said, "Ma. Eat what you can." She ate another bowl. I helped her to bed at 7 p.m.

The year is almost over. The year has been a life.

Those 120 cookies we made that Saturday were not just cookies — they were something to hold onto. Gayle was in her chair, Josie was elbow-deep in icing, and for a few hours the house smelled like warmth and nothing else mattered. The Apple Chunkies were her favorite of the three kinds we made that day, and when she reached for a second one I didn’t say a word. I just slid the tray a little closer to her.

Apple Chunkies

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 32 min | Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups peeled, finely diced apple (about 2 medium apples, such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
• 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease them.
2. Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract until fully combined.
5. Combine wet and dry. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
6. Fold in apples and mix-ins. Gently fold in the diced apple and, if using, the nuts and raisins or cranberries. The dough will be thick and chunky.
7. Drop cookies. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
8. Bake. Bake for 10—12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers look just set. Do not overbake — these cookies are best soft.
9. Cool. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They will firm up slightly as they cool.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 148 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 21g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 82mg