Okay, so I’m late. If you have been following me on social media, you know that I have been moving and I’m finally in the new house. All of my things are still not here, but I finally found the mixer and decided to get started. This month’s (well, February’s) cookies were Red Velvet White Chocolate Chunk and, I might add, perfect for Valentine’s Day. I missed it, but there’s nothing to say you can’t celebrate love any day.

Let’s Get Going

I read the cookie instructions and prepared all of the ingredients. I like to look like I’m doing a cooking show and I am really prepared. I followed all directions perfectly. No I didn’t. I can, however, tell you where I deviated. My ingredients were room temperature with the exception of the butter. I forgot about it and had to heat it in the microwave. Deviation – I did not have real butter and substituted whipped margarine. No. That’s all I have to say about that. No. 

I creamed the wet ingredients. I mixed the dry. And I combined them all, including the white chocolate. Again, deviation. I couldn’t find white chocolate bars, so I used white chocolate chips. Once they were folded in, the directions called for refrigerating the dough for a minimum of 2 hours, but preferably overnight. Another deviation, I put mine in the freezer for a half hour. I was in a rush and I thought it wouldn’t matter…

When I began to roll out little balls of dough, they practically melted in my hand, so I used a spoon to drop them on the cookie sheet. I had to add about three minutes to cook time and no matter the size of the dough drops, each cookie spread out about 4 inches wide. They never rose. 

The Results

Although they looked ugly, they tasted GREAT! So, here’s what I learned. First, ALWAYS follow directions to the letter. They’re there for a reason. Second, refrigerate your dough for the required time. Not doing so caused my cookies to not rise, but to spread flat. And third, let your ingredients come to room temperature, and fourth, whenever possible, don’t substitute. Substitutions change recipes. 

Lastly, it’s a recipe I will try again. It wasn’t that difficult. I just thought I was smart and could cut corners. No you can’t. 

FOLLOW DIRECTIONS! But, be gentle with yourself. If it’s edible, it’s a success.

Let me know how you did with this month’s challenge. Be sure to tag @southernfamilydecor on social media if you post. I’d love to see your pics! If you would like to join us on this challenge, you can do so, here. When you sign-up, you will receive a guide with all of the Cookie Challenges at a glance, and tablescape ideas with each month’s theme.