Multi-tasking and cookies do not always mix

There is supposed to be a picture here for you, a picture of black and white cookies, which I was "baking along" with Megan and Nicole.

Instead, let me tell you a little story....

Thursday afternoon I was home, with lots of things to do, but time in there to get some baking done before I had to run off, get my kids off the bus, throw them into the van with their dinners in a lunch box and not come home until all of their combined activities were done. This is our new Thursday routine, trying to maximize our time and minimize my driving. My plan ahead was for Sheppard's Pie, which was in their thermoses, and I thought cookies would be a nice addition as well.

So the potatoes were on the stove, boiling, the meat was already browned, the oven was preheated. The butter was softened and all the cookie ingredients were out, the try was lined with parchment. I was all set and ready to go with the cookies, creaming away when the phone rang.

Taekwon-Do. Our school is hosting a tournament next month, a big one, and in addition to some of my usual office coordinator tasks for the school, I have also been working on a team jacket with logo for the students to wear at the tournament. The jackets we picked look great and we were just settling the last few details of the logo.

Mixer running, in and out of the room I go, jotting down notes between adding ingredients (oops I was supposed to put the buttermilk in two additions, not all at once!), scooping the dough onto the pans, a few more notes, into the oven the cookies go, another note, back to the potatoes, drain them, melt my butter and warm my milk, another note, another phone call with the supplier about my previous notes, write notes from him with his corresponding information, put the Sheppard's pie in the oven, those cookies cooling on the counter do not look like the smooth topped cookies I expected.

Phone calls done, cookies cooled, onto the glaze, clean up the counter a bit first, what is this I see?

An egg.

No, the egg.

The one supposed to be in the cookie dough.

Not sitting on the counter.

Hmmm wonder how these cookies will taste without it, can I fake it?

No. Not so good for faking.

Check the time, bus is arriving in 30 minutes, still have to pack up for piano and assemble the thermoses.

Do I have any more butter out at room temperature?

No.

Do I have time tomorrow to try this again? Hmmm maybe. Have to see. (And for the record, no, I did not.)

Oh dear.

And that is my tale of the cookies that aren't. Looks like I will have time to make them tomorrow though, after swimming, before I need to go out again, so I'll just take some butter out now.

Sigh.... I'm sorry Megan and Nicole!