We all have our fair share of good intentions. I, for one, could fill a book with all the well-meaning words and ideas that I’ve failed to bring to life: the things I meant to say, the opportunities I meant to pursue, and the dreams and goals that got tossed on the back burner until further notice. Those forgotten intentions are casualties of the busy pace of life that so many of us are accustomed to, and sometimes, our good intentions just fall through the cracks.

I see the daily effects of this when it comes to parenting my kids. At any given moment, my head is filled with all sorts of things I want to teach or experience with them, but more often that not, they get set aside for another day, another season, or a later time when life has slowed down. In years past, those unrealized good intentions have left me with a healthy dose of The Mom Guilt, but I’m learning that those feelings just aren’t mine to carry; most of us are doing the best we can, and it’s important that we offer ourselves grace for whatever is left undone.

So cue my Summer of Good Intentions. As my kids have been wrapping up their school years, we have spent some time coming up with a Summer Bucket List: two months worth of small, daily bits of happiness to chalk onto our calendar in the coming weeks. The idea is that each day of the summer will have one designated activity (go on a picnic! paint a picture! play hopscotch! swim at the pool!) that we’ll jot out and capture via a photograph or some kind of memento, and at the end of the summer, I’m going to upload the pictures into a quick photo book to save for years to come.

I fully anticipate there will be more than a few hiccups. Although I’m sure we’ll wind up with some disaster days that no one wants to rememberer a few bellyflopped activities that never even happen, I’m eager for my kids to have proof that the intention was there. I want to partner with them in making memories that they’ll have a tangible record of, and even if this project falls through the cracks with all my other good intentions, I know that this will at least keep me in pursuit of a full and memorable summer. It feels right for the season we’re in, and if you find yourself with the capacity to do something similar with your own family, I hope you’ll join me! I need a few more ideas to round out our summer bucket list, so if you come up with any fabulous options, send them my way.

As Aimee and I were brainstorming bucket list activities, it was so fun to see how many of her ideas happened in the kitchen. Probably a fifth of our list has to do with cookie dough or homemade popsicles, and every time she suggested another food activity, my heart soared. She is truly a girl after my own heart. So today, I’m sharing these espresso white chocolate chunk cookies, a recent baking project from Aimee and I, that I think you’re really going to enjoy.

A few weeks ago, Aims asked if we could bake cookies and immediately pulled out my bag of fancy white chocolate faves. I added in a few spoons of espresso powder for grown-up flavor, and the baked end product was simple and incredibly delicious. It turns out that terrific white chocolate pairs perfectly with espresso and muscovado sugar cookie dough, and thus, espresso white chocolate chunk cookies were born.

The dough for these espresso white chocolate chunk cookies is one that you can reference all year long. The muscovado sugar keeps them chewy and caramel flavored and it is sturdy enough to handle a wide variety of mix-ins. Since then, we’ve added pecans, dark chocolate, and even some crushed pretzels, and I can tell you absolutely none of those varieties have been a disappointment.

Check out the recipe for these espresso white chocolate chunk cookies below, and, while you’re at it, fill me in on all of your summer happenings! I am eager to start penciling in all of my favorite things, and I look forward to hearing from you too. In the coming weeks, we’re going to transition to a full-on summer recipe deep dive, so prep your palates for frozen treats, berries, and more. Happy Wednesday and Happy Baking!

If you like these espresso white chocolate chunk cookies you should try:

Kitchen Sink Cookies
White Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Cookies
Muscovado Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
White Chocolate Ganache Shortbread

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