Recipes: Chocolate Chip Cookies, for Dad

I was recently asked to be a co-host of The Dinner Party (I'll post more about that wonderful organization later) and I was very honored and excited to accept, as well as nervous to take on responsibility in such a sensitive realm. I was also invited to share a recipe and a ritual for an e-book the TDP is working on, which I accepted immediately.

As you may or may not know, I lost my father to skin cancer in June of 2012. While I try not to publicize my struggles, I'll just say that nothing about losing a loved one is easy and it's important to make a conscious, positive effort to manage your grief. Below is what I wrote today for TDP, my first public writings about my dad: 

My family wasn’t huge on cooking, and we’re all still clueless as to where my love for cooking and baking comes from. While my parents made daily family dinner a huge priority, there is no specific dish that comes to mind with the Berrill family stamp on it. The sound of my dad’s rickety beach cruiser coming through the back gate after picking up Mexican food is, even now, much more comforting than racking my brain for “his” meal. My father did bake occasionally, mostly chocolate-based things such as cream cheese-filled chocolate cupcakes or brownies.

One of the strongest food-related memories I have of my dad is an ever-present bag of Ghirardelli’s semi-sweet chocolate chips sitting in the corner of a kitchen cabinet, obviously the most easily accessible one. He would cut corner off the bag so he wouldn’t get too many chocolate chips (everything in moderation?) per pour, just a small handful or random few each stop. Once in a while he’d bake the cookie recipe on the back of the bag, so I cannot give him full credit for the recipe, however it is just as delicious as I remember. When baking I halved the recipe but forgot to use half the baking soda, and it turned out to be the most delicious mistake. Corners off to you, Dad.

1 ¼ cups unsifted flour
1 tsp baking soda (the glorious mistake)
sprinkle of salt
½ cup butter, room temperature
6 Tbs sugar
6 Tbs packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375F. Beat butter and both sugars together on medium speed until creamy. On low, mix in vanilla and egg. Gradually add in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake on wax paper over cookie sheet at least an inch apart from one another for 9-11 minutes, until lightly golden on the edges. Enjoy while still warm :)

xo

Amanda Q