Dec 12

Written by: Sandra Simpson
12/12/2005 2:29 PM

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

  Everyone should have a really good chocolate chip cookie recipe.  And we all know that most really good things in life, recipes included, don’t happen over night.  They evolve over time.  Dr. Bill Jones and his wife Frances have been cooking chocolate chip cookies from his recipe for more than 30 years.  They brought their recipe to Wake County in 1974 when Bill Jones opened up the first pediatric practice in Cary, Cary Pediatrics Center.  Evolving out of that venture, Fuquay-Varina Pediatrics opened its doors in 1995, and in 2003 Apex Pediatrics was established.  After 42 years of practicing pediatrics and 31 years of practicing in Cary, Cary’s first pediatrician has retired.  Dr. Jones retired on December 1st of this year but he did not get away without sharing his delicious Chocolate Cookie recipe with me.
      Bill and Frances Jones grew up together in Henderson, N.C. Bill attended Duke University as an undergrad, UNC Medical School, and fulfilled his internship and residency requirements at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Maryland.  In his third year at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Jones was the first physician chosen to receive a two-year cystic fibrosis fellowship from the National Institute of Health (NIH).  Between his career at NIH and starting Cary Pediatrics, Dr. Jones spent one year practicing in his hometown, Henderson, N.C., and one year at Babies Hospital in Wilmington.  Dr. Jones left a pediatric practice in Hampton, Va., to start Cary Pediatrics.     
 
   What prompted the initial move to Cary?  They came here to see David Thompson play basketball for NCSU. While in town for the game, they stayed with friends living in Cary.  By the end of that week end Bill and Frances made their decision to move back to North Carolina and to open the first pediatric practice, in what was then a sleepy little town of 10,000 people. 
     In August 1974, Dr. Jones opened Cary Pediatrics Center (CPC).  Dr. Jones said it was slow at first but two things happened in the beginning of 1975: the gas shortage hit (Cary residents no longer wanted to make the trip to Raleigh) and then the flu came to Cary.  During that first flu season,  Dr. Jones single-handedly saw as many as 80 patients a day.  Sarah Britt Randell, long-time employee of CPC, says, “I have never heard Dr. Jones complain and he has always stayed until that last sick child was seen.”  When Sarah started at CPC in 1977, she remembers, “in the old days, when you called Cary Pediatrics, Dr. Jones might answer the phone; we scheduled our patients around favorite soap operas.  A ‘sick’ visit was $15.00 and a house call $20.00 (yes, house call).”At that time there were no stop lights on Kildaire Farm Road.  It was a paved two lane road with bad ruts on each side, but the view was nice.  Pony pastures and dairy barns stood where businesses now line the multi-lane highway.   
     Cary, Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina have changed so much since Dr. Jones moved to Wake County.  Our towns now have multi-lane streets and even our quaint town of Holly Springs has a fast food restaurant.  With all the change one thing still remains the same, for most good things in life, nothing beats years of experience. My husband, Dr. Mark Simpson, has practiced medicine with Dr. Jones for over 22 years and always says that “Bill Jones can spot a sick baby from across the room.”   Dr. J., your expertise will be sorely missed.

DR. BILL’S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Preheat oven to 375
1 stick of margarine, see note about butter.
½ cup solid Crisco.
½ cup white sugar.
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs (room temperature)
2 ¼ cups plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 full cup of chopped pecans
By hand, cream margarine and Crisco, add sugar and continue to cream. Add eggs, continue to mix, add vanilla.  Stir salt and soda into the flour and then add to creamed mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Cook at 375 degrees for 8 minutes and then start checking.  (cont’d)
Secrets to Success
1. After timer goes off, “hover” over the cookies, checking them every 30 seconds.
2. The cookies should be slightly wet-looking in the center because the cookies will continue to cook for a minute or two more after they come out of the oven. 
3.  If you use butter instead of margarine, the cookies are more likely to
     burn on the bottom.  
 4.  Cool cookies on rack.  As soon as they cool, store in airtight bags.
  5.  I don’t think you can have good cookies without the right pan.   The first time I tried to make this recipe, I used a pan as thin as a pizza pan, BIG MISTAKE.  I bought one of those “bubble” cookie sheets and they turned out O.K.  Bill Jones says his cookie sheets are so heavy it would do some damage if you dropped one on your foot.  I think I will take his word for it.

 

Copyright ©2006 Sandra Simpson

Tags: