When the world gives you duck eggs, make cookies, of course!

What a day for surprises!

My first surprise.

I had a record number of visitors to my blog on this day, all because of one post! Thanks for liking it. Update: 259 lattes to go in 44 days.

My second surprise:

A carton of duck eggs delivered just when I was thinking of making chocolate chip cookies. Hannah, a basketball team player came over for a ride to practice and brought the fresh free range gift.

Hannah’s surprise:

We (my daughter and another player) acted as though we had no idea she was turning 15 on that day. We “spontaneously” declared the cookies made were for her special day and we sang happy birthday. Her surprise came at basketball where she was given a surprise birthday party by her team which included awesome panda bear cupcakes.

Here’s the recipe for the cookies, an adaptation of the chocolate candy cookies from my cookbook, A Dollop and A Pinch: Recipes and Stories from The Baron York.

Preheat oven to 350˚

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 stick butter

1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco (or shortening or another stick of butter)

2 duck eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions:

In a large bowl, cream sugars, butter and Crisco. Add eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt and add to creamed mixture. Blend well. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. (Make them tiny for tea or giant for sugar-overload!)

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are brown.

My daughter’s surprise:

She loved the cookies and THEN found out they were made with the duck eggs she had declared she wouldn’t eat.