Lessons From My Grandmas: The Signature Cookie

Elena LaVictoire observes how her own grandmothers' example sets the standard for her grandparenting today. Try Elena's special cookie recipe!

Older women should be reverent in their behavior … teaching what is good, so that they may train younger women to love their husbands and children. (Titus 2:3a-4)   

The examples of grandmothers in my life truly blessed me. Not everyone can say that. According to my Instagram feed, there are many young mothers wondering what grandmothers are for. It seems the grandmothers are either too pushy or almost absent and give no support at all. I know there is probably a healthy middle ground that doesn’t get mentioned on social media. But all of this got me thinking about my own grandmas.  

When I was a new mom, I never even had the fear that my mom wouldn’t help me. I called her from the hospital, feeling overwhelmed and a little panicked, and asked if she could come to help with the new baby.  She was there within a day. 

The Examples of Grandmothers 

Mom knew how to be a grandma because she had some good examples. Here are some things that stand out to me from those wonderful women.  

I didn’t know my paternal grandmother, my mom’s mother-in-law. Everything I ever heard about her was positive. She died when I was six months old. My dad told me though, that whenever she walked into the room my face lit up and I made a unique, special, happy little sound just for her and nobody else. That story delighted me. I trust my little baby instincts — she must have been a good grandma to little baby me! 

My maternal grandmother taught me to bake and make cakes and cookies. She would let me mix the batter before nap time at her house and then when I woke up there would be warm cookies in my play oven and juice or milk in my play refrigerator. I felt very grown up! 

As a wee little girl, we visited my great grandmother once a year. She was in her 90s, but her hands were always working, snipping beans, or crocheting something. She wore her waist length hair in a bun. At night she would let us kids help her comb her long silver strands. I thought they were so beautiful. But what everyone remembers about her the most was her signature cookie: the Ginger Snap! If you went to visit Grandma Werty, she was going to offer a plate of ginger snaps and some milk. To this day I think of her whenever I see a box of those tangy cookies in the grocery store.  

They served a purpose. Now, 50 years after her death, we still remember her fondly and associate her name with a sweet treat.  

My mom decided that the signature cookie idea was a good one. When my kids were little, she always made sure to have Fig Newtons in the house. She one-upped her grandma game by taking my little kids to get popcorn, which was often offered at her retirement home. They still remember holding their grandma’s hand and going down to get their bags of buttery goodness and wolfing it down before going home with their hands, and sometimes pockets, full of the Newtons!  

My Own Signature Cookie 

I have two (soon to be three) grandchildren. What would my signature cookie be? I enjoyed making chocolate chips the most from scratch. When I had my own business, I made dozens of them to put in gift bags and give for Christmas presents. That’s how my kids came to connect me to that cookie. I still make them for my granddaughter, and she likes to help. To make them more “fun” we started using M&Ms instead of chips, but we’ve done both. She likes to help me vary the recipe as well, like using sourdough starter in my batter — that was a big hit! 

My daughters are already talking about what their signature cookie will be when it’s their turn. It’s wonderful to have a multi-generational idea like this to connect us to the past and to the present! 

Do you have a signature cookie or other recipe your family treasures?

Tell us about it in the comments, and enjoy my recipe, below!

Elena's Signature Chocolate-Chip Cookie Recipe

Ingredients 

• 14 tablespoons butter, slightly softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar 
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 cup sourdough starter, unfed. (This is a great way to use your discard!)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups chocolate chips or M&Ms 

Instructions 

In a large bowl, combine the softened butter and sugars.  

Add the egg to the mixture, stirring until incorporated. 

Stir in the sourdough starter and vanilla extract. 

Add the flour, salt, and baking soda, careful not to overmix. 

Finally, incorporate the chocolate chips and let the dough refrigerate for 15 minutes or refrigerate up to overnight. If you don’t refrigerate, the cookies will be more like cake — which is good too! 

When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. (Let the refrigerated cookie dough come to room temperature.) 

Drop spoonfuls of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.   

Bake 8-10 minutes for a cake-like cookie.  

Bake 6-8 minutes for a chewier cookie. The cookie MAY appear a little wet in the center and that is OK. It will continue to bake and be cooked throughout after being out of the oven for a few minutes. 

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Copyright 2025 Elena LaVictoire
Images: Canva