Last week sure was a doozie. With wintry weather, a busy bee schedule and a case of the sniffles, I sought refuge in my kitchen. All of the yummy Valentines Day recipes you members have shared sure did warm my heart - Chocolate just plain gets to me every time!

In fact, I whipped up some of the most comforting comfort food of all: good old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies. Raw or baked, their salty sweet gooeyness never fails to warm my heart and turn my frown around. (And I'm not positive, but I think they're also the cure for the common cold.)

Jennifer Segreti knows what I'm talking about. My daughter-in-law Krissi and I recently whipped up this Florida gal's recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls, and it was a true chocolate chip cookie dough breakthrough for us! All the gooeyness of cookie dough without even an ounce of raw egg.

"I could eat cookie dough all day long," says Jennifer. "But now I can [eat it] without the hazard [of raw egg]."

She ingenuously uses Greek yogurt as a binder, a technique I was not familiar with. The flavor is perfectly authentic and while you can't bake this dough, you surely can enjoy it.... straight from the freezer! Try it on ice cream or let it soften a bit for an ooey gooey treat that the kiddos will love.

Now if you're more like me and usually prefer your cookie dough baked and accompanied by a tall glass of milk, you may want to look into trying Teresa Eckert's recipe for Oatmeal Double Chocolate Chip Cookies. These darn things will make an oatmeal fan out of anyone!

"My boyfriend Joe loves chocolate and oatmeal," explains Teresa. " So when combining my ingredients I made sure to include these [both] ...They made for the best chocolate chip cookies I ever had, so it's a tradition I use weekly and Joe couldn't be happier!"

Well, Joe is one lucky fellow, if you ask me. I would be in seventh heaven if my sweetie made these for me every week. (Hint, hint... wink, wink.) The good news is that they are a snap to make and can be whipped together in a matter of minutes. Try adjusting the level of cinnamon to your liking, more or less depending on how spicy you're feeling. Every batch I've made has been a winner.

Feeling extra adventurous and want to amp your cookies up to an eleven? Roshuni Samuels of Virginia Beach, VA offers up a great alternative to the traditional with her Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. She adds some serious jazz to her chocolate fix by combining classic ingredients with browned butter, half-and-half and lemon juice.

"The browned butter gives it a nutty flavor and adds to its richness," explains Roshuni. "I also learned that the lemon juice helps to activate the baking soda!"

Delicious and educational... The perfect after school snack? If you ask my grandson, Connor, it is! He'll be happy to tell you all about it... just as soon as he's finished eating his cookie.