Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

My college aged daughter moved home to live with us for the summer and I have to say that it was just about the quickest three months of my life.  Two years ago, when we moved her into her dorm room for the first time, I had prepared myself for the hardest goodbye of my life.  My baby girl was moving away and I armed myself with an arsenal of coping mechanisms and a box of tissues to help myself deal with the transition of being an empty nester.  I read the parenting books about the significance of "drop off day" written by all sorts of "experts" and I was prepared for the emotional flood.   And believe me - there was a flood that day.  

I was filled with overwhelming pride that she was attending the college of her dreams and sadness that her bright shining face would be absent from our dinner table every night.  So on the day of her college drop off we carefully hauled tote after tote of bathroom necessities, school supplies and university sweatshirts into her unusually tiny dorm room on the 4th floor.  After we organized her closet to Marie Kondo perfection and made her bed with the new sheets and comforter that she picked out for this exact occasion, we said our final goodbyes.  The "experts were right" - it was hard.  I may have let a few tears slip out before we left her room but I managed to mostly hold it together until we got to the car.  

It was no surprise that it was hard to say goodbye and to leave her in that dorm room for the first time.  What WAS a surprise is that there would be so many goodbyes over the next few years that would be equally heart wrenching.  Why didn't the "experts" mention the goodbye when she moved back to school after her first Fall break? Christmas break? Summer vacation?  It seems there's an endless stream of goodbyes when your child moves away to college.  And in my experience - these subsequent goodbyes - don't get any easier with time.  Silly me, I thought that once we got through the initial college drop off, each time she went back to school would be easier - turns out - I was wrong.  Very wrong.  

So last week I had to say goodbye again to my sweet daughter who moved back to school.  Life feels differently when she's not in the house and it's going to take some getting used to not having her here again.  It takes me about a week before I can even go into her room to change her sheets.  😥

Over the years, I've managed to come up with my own goodbye rituals when my kids go back to college.  There's some crying, a lot of busy work and there's always some chocolate involved in my coping techniques.  It's not the healthiest way of dealing with the emotional trauma but what can I say?  Chocolate soothes my aching soul.  So for all of you parents out there who may be struggling with the endless cycle of painful goodbyes of a college-aged child - whether it's the first goodbye or the 20th goodbye - I'm here to say I feel your pain and I've got your back.  This Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie won't make the goodbyes any easier but it will help you feel better as you sit alone in your quieter than usual house.  

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
4 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons rolled oats
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Beat butter, oil and brown sugar until light and fluffy. 

Add egg and vanilla.

Gradually add flour, baking powder and salt.  Stir in 1/2 cup oats. 

Spread 1/2 of the dough in the bottom of a greased 9" cast iron skillet. 

Spread peanut butter over dough. 

Sprinkle with half of chocolate chips.

Drop remaining dough over peanut butter and spread to an even layer. 

Sprinkle with remaining oats and chocolate chips. 

Bake 35 minutes at 325.  Cover with foil and bake another 10 minutes. 

Let cool 15 minutes then cut into 12 wedges. 

Chocolate and pasta are my comfort foods.  (Not together obviously.)  What do you eat when you need to really need something comforting and soothing?  Send me your favorite comfort foods in the comments.  

Ciao!

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