Graduation Day

Today my dear friend Melissa graduated from Lesley University, where I myself graduated from a year ago. Though I didn’t make it to graduation, I did make it to her celebratory party. It took place on our friend’s roof-top in South Boston (Southie), and since it was also rapture day, I made rapture cookies.
What might Rapture Cookies be? They’re the cookies I wouldn’t mind being my last. Lots of fat, sugar, chocolate, and flavor. They ended up being chocolate chip peanut butter oatmeal cookies, with a sprinkling of French sea salt on top. The batter itself was delicious, and the cookies stood up to the test of several hungry art therapists and a few children’s repeated tastings.
The afternoon drifted into the evening on the roof, with the weather being indecisive – misty? Sunny? Cold? Foggy? I declined an offer for a veggie burger, as I have a hard time getting over a veggie burger being made on a meaty grill, and gleefully ate hummus, cheese and bean dips. Southie is such a beautiful neighborhood, with a checkered past. This rooftop in particular overlooks Saint Augustine, a beautiful church and school associated with Whitey Bulger, and referred to frequently in All Souls by Michael Patrick McDonald, and in The Departed.

Celebrating Melissa’s graduation is a gentle reminder that I graduated a year ago. I’ve been an art therapist for a year now. I’ve been working towards licensure and independence for a year. It makes me really question where I am right now, and where I’m going. This graduation also points to the fact that I’ve been married for 11 months now. My graduation last year initiated the month-long countdown to our wedding.

There’s a lot to celebrate today. Good thing I made rapture cookies.

Here goes:

Peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookies (adapted from here
Makes about 2 dozen.
Ingredients:
 6 tbsp butter
 3 tbsp peanut butter (I used chunky Teddy)
 ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
 Scant ½ cup white sugar
 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
 ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
 ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
 1 egg
 ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
 ½ cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
 1 cup Rolled Oats
 ¾ cup chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate Ghirardelli)
 pinches of sea salt (i used some fancy French thing from TJ Maxx)

Method:
 Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
 Beat together butter and peanut butter until smooth and fluffy. Add sugars, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Beat until combined.
 Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in flour. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.
 Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat.
 Sprinkle with salt. Bake 10 minutes or until light brown around edges.
 Remove to wire racks to cool.
 Eat many. Prepare for the rapture.