Chocolate chip cookies | New Year traditions

What are your traditions to ring in the New Year?

I, for one, grew up watching people perform dozens of different New Year’s superstitions around me. For example: one time while my family was having dinner, we heard our neighbors as they started running in and out of their house; they began running around the street carrying suitcases! The belief is that by doing all that running with suitcases, that the new year will bring traveling fortune. Others bring in the new year wearing red underwear, which means they will find love in the new year; or yellow underwear, which will bring monetary fortune.

In Venezuela, people go to the beach and jump in the water on January 1st to wash away “la pava” (bad luck) and start the new year “clean.”

In my family, we eat 12 grapes at midnight. Each grape represents a wish, or a prayer we have, for each month of the coming year.

Something else that is starting to become a personal tradition (and I wish it weren’t, but I’m just being honest), is the tradition of completely losing track of time!

I don’t know if this happens to you too, but the last two months of the year always seem to blend together as one big holiday. My Thanksgiving, Pre-Christmas, Christmas and Post-Christmas modes become one giant monster until half of January is over!

So, for those who’s Christmas Spirit is still alive and the holiday mood continues on, here is a delicious chocolate chip cookies recipe that I made this Christmas.

It’s an excellent recipe to make with the little ones at home (and the not so little ones too). I really enjoy making them with my nephews and nieces, as they love helping in the kitchen and being a part of the preparations (and licking the spoon). And I wanted to share it with all of you before the year ends.

Happy New Year!

Chocolate chip cookies

(makes about 30)

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups all-purpose flour (400 gr)

2 eggs

1 cup butter, softened (225gr)

1 cup white sugar (200gr)

1 cup packed ground piloncillo* (sugar cane block ground) (200gr)

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons hot water

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I like splitting the dough and making half with white chocolate and half with dark)

1 1/2 cup chopped pecans (or nuts of preference)

*If you can’t find piloncillo, it can be substituted with regular brown sugar.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F (175*C)

2. Mix piloncillo, white sugar and butter until smooth.

3. Add the eggs one at a time and integrate the vanilla.

4. In hot water, dissolve the baking soda and salt and integrate it to the batter.

5. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts.

6. Using a spoon or an ice cream scoop to place the batter on a cookie sheet pan.

7. Bake for between 10-15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges look brown.

8. Once golden brown, take them out of the oven and use a spatula to place them on a rack to cool down.

9. Enjoy with your favorite drink!

Try this recipe and share with us through #johastable

Check my Homemade Pizza Margherita Recipe!