Chocolate Chip Cookies

Father’s Day is on Sunday, which is a time when we take pause to recognize all the dads out there. My dad has been gone almost three years now, which makes the holiday bittersweet for me. However, there are other reasons to celebrate in the coming days for my family. My brother and sister, who are twins, will celebrate their 25th birthday on Saturday. And my brother and sister-in-law will celebrate their second wedding anniversary on Monday. So in memory of my dad and in honor of the other occasions, today’s recipe is for Chocolate Chip Cookies. There are many variations of this recipe, but the one below is one of my favorites.


Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks margarine
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar, packed
2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips (you can add an additional half cup or full cup if you prefer)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease cookie sheets. Place in large bowl and mix margarine, eggs, and vanilla. Add and blend granulated sugar and brown sugar. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into small bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough from teaspoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool on wire racks.


Chocolate chip cookies were one of my dad’s favorites. In fact, he would have them for breakfast with is coffee many mornings. When I picked up the same habit in junior high, it drove my mom crazy. But she didn’t say much about it because I was following my dad’s example…I think it was more of a “choose your battles” thing at the time as well. So when I seek the comfort of a warm chocolate chip cookie, I always think about dad. Happy Fathers Day!


**Weekly Tip: I enjoy making casserole-type dishes, such as chicken spaghetti, lasagna, and enchiladas, on a regular basis. However, those recipes generally serve six, eight, ten or more. So what I usually do is place half of the casserole in a small dish and bake it for that day. Then I place the other half in a small dish and freeze it. When I’m ready to prepare the portion that was frozen, I typically let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then bake according to the original directions. You can also place the frozen dishes directly in the oven. It just takes a little longer to cook. If you choose this option, I would recommend keeping it covered with foil until the last 30 minutes or so of baking.