Let me introduce you to my all-time favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie: The Clipper Chipper

Throughout the 1990s, Tony (love of my life) and I worked as hospitality officers for Clipper Cruise Line, a small, luxury-expedition line known for its destination-focused itineraries, friendly crew, relaxed atmosphere, and amazing food. Everything on board a Clipper ship was made from scratch and often inspired by the regions we visited, and there were many dishes which became passenger favorites.

Clipper had a generous policy of sharing their recipes with our guests upon request, and one recipe was requested more than any other, and even featured in Bon Appetit magazine: the decadent, amazing Clipper Chipper.

No longer in existence, Clipper Cruise Line once owned and operated five vessels during our time with them, with diverse itineraries including America’s Coastal Waterways, Alaska’s Inside Passage, Western Medieval Europe, Scandinavia and the Baltic, the Norwegian High Arctic, Jungle Rivers of South America, and even the Antarctic Peninsula.

It didn’t matter which ship we were on, or where in the world we were: every afternoon at 4:30 the Pastry Chef would appear in the Observation Lounge with a heaping tray of warm Clipper Chippers.

What makes these cookies so special?

The recipe is the creation of Chef Robert (Bobby) Colosimo, who was the Director of Food Service for the line during our tenure. Bobby was a wonderful mentor, the kind who made you strive to exceed his impossibly high standards, but almost always with a kind word and a smile.

With ingredients including two bags of milk chocolate chips, two different liqueurs (Frangelico and Tia Maria), and three different kinds of nuts, these are no ordinary chocolate chip cookies. But they are worth the investment – every bite is filled with what Giovanni (2nd love of my life) calls “rich chocolate nuttiness.” Enjoy them with your favorite cordial or liqueur, or my drink of choice – a nice, cold glass of milk.

One Clipper Chipper is never enough, so I use my smallest ice cream scoop to drop the cookies and end up with about five dozen. The dough is refrigerated overnight, which allows the liqueurs to infuse the cookies with flavor and tenderness. It can also be prepared and refrigerated several days in advance, and freezes well for future use.

Where *you* can find Clipper Chippers

Clipper Chippers are a featured item on my February SarahBakes menu, and you can order them freshly baked by the (baker’s) dozen, or frozen and ready-to-bake (2 dozen). And, as always, I’m happy to share the recipe for all my fellow home bakers as these cookies are at their ultimate best when served fresh from the oven.

Just the smell of these cookies baking in my home brings the memories flooding back, reminding Tony and me of a time when we were young, adventurous, carefree and oh, so in love.