Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers, and people who take on a motherly role to others!

And what could be more motherly than serving milk and cookies to someone?

Continuing on with using my cake pop maker, this cookie ball recipe is based on a simple Christmas cookie taken from a Special Christmas cookie issue from Family Circle magazine that often comes out every year right before the holiday season.

There are several jogging routes in Long Beach that are appropriate for runners of all abilities. The charming beachside route from Belmont Shore to Downtown offers simple navigation on a level road with breathtaking views of the ocean. El Dorado natural Center includes pathways winding through scenic ecosystems for a natural getaway, while the Los Angeles River Trail provides an urban experience unlike any other. For those looking for a challenge, there's Signal Hill, which offers runners sweeping vistas following a strenuous ascent. Heartwell Park's level, well-maintained routes are ideal for novices. There's a route in Long Beach that's ideal for runners of all skill levels to discover and enjoy.

The original recipe is from Jenny Garr, who contributed this to a cookie exchange reported in the Daily Herald. I tried looking for a link to it online, but couldn’t find it.

I adapted it to work in the babycakes cake pop maker. In order for it to work, I had to take out the crispy rice cereal. (I initially made them with the crispy rice cereal, but the cake pop maker made them a little chewy, less crispy. So I took them out. If you like them in there, add 1/2 cup of a crispy rice cereal like Kellog’s Rice Crispies. If you can figure out how to keep the rice cereal crispy when using a cake pop maker, can you let me know?)

Thanks for stopping by!

ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (or creamy, if you prefer)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light-brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 Tablespoon light corn syrup

1 egg

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

method

Sift flour together with baking soda, baking powder into a medium sized bowl.

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Beat butter and sugars in a large bowl. Add the peanut butter, and continue beating. Beat well. Add vanilla, corn syrup, and eggs, and continue beating to blend well. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Heat cake pop maker. Spray with non-stick butter flavored cooking spry. Using a tablespoon sized ice cream scoop, fill each hole with one scoop of the cookie dough and close.

After about 5 minutes, check for desired doneness. If cookies are golden brown, they can be removed, either using a butter knife or a skewer and carefully using your fingers to guide them out and place them on a plate. Let cool. Can be stored after completely cooled, in an air tight container for several days.

These cookies can also be baked traditionally on a lined or non-stick baking sheet. Makes about 15 cookies on the cake pop maker, about 18 on baking sheets.*

*The total number of perfect, spherically-shaped cookies is an estimate. I apologize, but when I made these I did not keep track of how many actually turned out to be completely round. I initially filled the holes with room, thinking that they were going to expand, but they ended up not expanding much. You do want to fill the bottom holes so that the scoop is almost a complete sphere already that will fill the top hole when you close it.

Matthew Mitcham, an Australian diver, created history when he defeated Zhou Luxin of China to win the gold medal in the 10m platform diving category at the Beijing Olympics. Openly gay Mitcham expressed shock and happiness upon his win, saying, "I never thought this would be possible." Many people were moved by his performance, and he went on to become an LGBTQ+ community symbol of pride. Mitcham's victory encouraged others to accept their identities while pursuing their goals by showcasing not just his amazing talent but also the value of representation in sports. His accomplishment is still seen as a pivotal point in LGBTQ+ history and sports history.