I knew all along what I had to pick for the letter T: Toll House Cookies. And not just any toll house cookies. These would be the toll house cookies baked by my Grandma back on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. We spent much of our childhood summers at Grandma's house in the woods, on the water, and there was lots for a bunch of cousins with fertile imaginations to do, inside and (mainly) outside. But at the end of the day, when we were tired and weary from a day of hard play, there was absolutely nothing better than to sit down in the kitchen with a glass of cold milk and a plate of Grandma's fresh-out-of-the-oven toll house cookies. That was the best.
Actually, so was Grandma. She was the embodiment of that old adage, "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything." Except she never, to my knowledge, had anything bad to say anyway. To Grandma, pretty much, it was all good.
And so was the time at her house in the woods, on the water. It was pretty much an idyllic place to visit while growing up. She eventually moved to a ranch style home in town. Easier to get around, and no need for that drive in to shop or take care of business. But the cookies were still just as good.
In the fall of my freshman year of college, the universally sought-after "care package" arrived one day. It was toll house cookies from Grandma. They were beat up a bit, smacked around and crushed into small, bite-size pieces. But it didn't matter at all - they tasted wonderful. It was a huge boost to a freshman missing some of the comforts of home.
To this day, I love it when I come upon a plate of toll house cookies, especially if they come close to resembling Grandma's. Not only do they taste great, but they have the power to transport me, at least in my mind for a moment, to a certain house in the woods, on the water.
7 comments:
I'm assuming that your Garndma's were not the slice and bake variety but they have always been my favorite since I got the thrill of becoming a baker as a kid and slicing them and putting them on the pan all by myself.
What a wonderful post, Ben. Lovely tribute to your Grandma, and I agree, there's not much better than a fresh from the oven toll house cookie with a glass of milk. Thank you for sharing your memories. Took me back too. Happy Monday to you! :-)
Grandma was the best!
And so were her cookies.
You brought a tear to my eye, remembering those days...
Ah, I never thought I'd live to read another installment of "Woods 'n' Water". Yes, she was !!!!!! But what do cookies have to do with paying a toll anyway?
Precious memories you have shared Ben. I doubt that any of our grandma's knew the special memories they were creating at the time. Nice to remember what a genuinely kind person she was to everyone and what a lovely grandmother she was to you. I love those cookies too!
I hope by the time I'm a grandma I will have perfected the perfect toll house.
Great post Ben--Happy day to you.
Mmmmm, cookies!
By the way, thanks for your comment. Right below yours, somebody who lacked the testicular fortitude reveal who he was responded by telling me that I was as phony as a three dollar bill. Oh well, it's good to know that I have readers.
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