Key Lime Pie

Spoiler Alert: There’s a delicious recipe for chocolate chip cookies at the end of this post. But, wait, this post is titled ‘Key Lime Pie’. Why is there a recipe for chocolate chip cookies? You’ll just have to read on to find out what the two have in common…

When I was in junior high my grandma passed away and my grandpa decided to move closer to his family. He moved into a 55 and older community in our town. Next door to him lived a spitfire of a woman who, despite her old age, could often be found on her roof cleaning her gutters or doing some other physical activity. She and my grandpa quickly became friends. My grandpa, ever proud of his Lincoln, would take her on shopping trips with him. They would cruise down Interstate 80, then on the way back pull over and take a nap – right there in my grandpa’s Lincoln alongside the freeway.

Despite having his neighbor’s companionship my grandpa discovered that, as a retired, single man with lots of time on his hands, he was lonely. He took up baking. He began by baking for my family. This quickly spread to baking for his neighbor, then her neighbor, and so on. In a town where my grandpa knew no one he found that nothing breaks the ice better than a freshly baked pie. His specialty was key lime pie and be began to take these pies everywhere he went – the doctor’s office, church, the bank… I’ll never forget walking into the grocery store one day and seeing my grandpa chatting away with the employees of the produce department while distributing his famous key lime pies.

Today, in honor of my grandpa, I’m posting one of his recipes. While he’s known for his key lime pie, I’m posting his recipe for chocolate chip cookies. These are my favorite cookies, and not just because they remind me of him. They’re delicious… enjoy!


Arnold’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
The trick to these cookies is to make them really, really big. That’s how my grandpa used to make them, so that’s how I make them.

2 Cups of Flour
1 Cup of Sugar
1 Cup of Light Brown Sugar
2 ½ Cups Blended Oatmeal (measure oatmeal before blending)
1 Cup of Butter (2 sticks)
2 Eggs
12 Oz. of Guittard Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips*
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts (optional)
2 Tsp. Vanilla
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp. Salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Sift the oatmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar.
Add the eggs and vanilla to the creamed butter.
Mix together with the sifted dry ingredients.
Slowly stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts, if using.
Roll the dough into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

*Note: I always use the Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips because I like their large size.


The Moral of the Story: Today I love something that I learned from my grandpa: Everyone loves a fresh pie!