I don’t think I fully understood how much my mom loves me until I became a mom myself.  I’ve only been a mother for a small fraction of my life, and yet I can’t even fathom my life without my children now.  In fact, I’ve felt this way from the moment I looked at the helpless new face of my first baby. The nurse brought him to me, our noses touched, and that was it. I was hooked. It happens that swiftly and enduringly, the bond between mother and child.

I wonder if my mom felt the same way when she saw me for the first time. My mom has lived as a mother for longer than she lived without children, and I think that mother-child bond has grown even stronger over time. It changes, surely, as children become adults, but it still has a powerful hold. Then when your child has a child of their own, it creates a new dimension to that bond. Now you’re a grandmother. Now your own child comprehends the bond that you’ve felt for all those years, and you can share common experiences that you never had before.

The stories of my own childhood take on new meaning as I listen to them as a parent. I can see my mother’s point of view much more clearly now. There were times when I thought she was being unfair or overprotective, but now I realize it was all because she loved me so much. I know it’s inevitable that my own kids will feel that I’m being unfair at times. I only hope that one day they have the privilege of experiencing the kind of all-consuming, unconditional love that I feel for them, so they can truly grasp what drives me to protect them so fiercely.

Now it’s time for what you’re all really here for…the food! Admit it, you just skipped over all that sappy stuff to get to the part about chocolate cookies.  It’s okay, these cookies are pretty special. Not as special as being a mom, but special as far as cookies go.

I was eating these amazingly delicious Chocolate Hippie Cookies and thought to myself that I could probably make something like these, so I gave it a try. It took a couple attempts, but I think I got pretty close with this recipe.

I love these photos of my Whine Critics reviewing the cookies. They perfectly depict the personalities of my three kids. We have a goofy Ayla, happy Bennett, and serious Cole. Ayla loves anything with chocolate (that’s my girl!) so the cookies were a hit with her. She kept whining and reaching for the counter to grab more of them. Bennett loved them too, because he’s also a big chocolate fan. Cole doesn’t like dark chocolate, only milk chocolate, so I think the cookies were a little too intense for him.

I thought they were great, and I kind of wished that no one else liked them so I could have them all to myself.

These cookies make a perfect Mother’s Day treat for that special mom in your life who loves chocolate. They’re made with healthy ingredients so you don’t have to feel guilty about eating them either. They’re gluten-free and sweetened with honey.  I put cacao nibs in them just to try them out because I’ve never had them before, but I think the cookies would be just as delicious without them.

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If you liked this post, you may like these posts at Life Made Delicious:

Paris For Mother’s Day

Relax, It’s Mother’s Day

Sunflower Cupcakes Bouquet

Cashew Fudge Bars

Have a wonderful Mother’s Day!