Charcoal Fired Skillet Cookie

It feels like all I do is weed, but it is really more than that. I am preparing the soil for this year. If I don’t there won’t be a garden. No garden, no food. No food, no evenings sitting by the fire sipping on boozy pink drink, no fire roasted tomatoes drizzled with a bit of olive oil alongside a freshly-made wedge of raw milk mozzarella. No grilled peaches drizzled with honey and topped with melty mascarpone cheese. And a thousand other moments that are sure to fill this Summer. And, actually, it’s not that bad. Really, it isn’t. It’s all about perspective. As I clear another row, filling the wheelbarrow to its brim, as I lug that wheelbarrow to the pig pasture, as I toss in all I’ve dug and pried and shaken loose, as I watch the pigs come running, as I hear them squeal with delight, as I see their pure joy, I put that thought front and center in my mind. I’m not just weeding. I’m not just clearing the soil. I’m delighting my pigs. Their day is better because of the work I’ve done, just like my Summer will be better because of the work I’m doing now. Like I said before. Perspective.

But. It’s not Summer yet. And this Farmer’s Wife needs herself a bit of a treat right now. So, I did this: a Farm basic made in a whole new way, and I must say, it was amazing.

There is always everything on hand in the Farm Kitchen to make Chocolate Chip Cookies. Always. You can stop in any time. Day or night. And in fifteen minutes (or less) you’ll have a warm chocolate chip cookie in your hand. The Farmer insists on it. Well. Not actually, But because I love him so much, I insist on it on his behalf. So. As the Charcoal in the Ooni became a hollow version of itself and the temperature dial began to drift from red to orange to yellow, this Farmer’s Wife had a most excellent idea—why not use the last bit of that heat to make cookies? And not just any cookies—chocolate chip cookies (of course-are there any other kinds? (save by Christmas). And not just chocolate chip cookies, but one big cookie, cooked as it is in a cast iron skillet. And seeing as I like to try new things and I hate waste besides, I decided to give it a go. And might I say, it was just about the best cookie I’ve had. Ever.

And this is how it was done:

One cup of granulated sugar was placed in a mixing bowl, along with a half a tablespoon molasses (I was out of brown sugar) to this was added one stick of softened butter. It was stirred and mixed well and once it was, an egg was added. It, also, was mixed in. In a separate dish, a tablespoon of vanilla was mixed with a half teaspoon of soda and a quarter teaspoon of salt. This mixture was added to the other, and also stirred well. To this all was added one and a half cup of flour and one cup of mini chocolate chips. This was blended just until it looked like dough. Half of this was spread in a small cast iron skillet and placed in the Ooni, by the door. It was still registering about four hundred, so I figured better safe than sorry. It was checked and checked often, and after seven minutes was taken out and consumed by all right out of the pan, still piping hot. Delicious. The other half was spread around the hot pan, but now the stove was cooler—around three hundred degrees. It was therefore placed closer to the coals, and while it did take a bit longer to cook (about ten minutes), it was still an unbelievably good cookie. Now. I don’t have a way for you know how truly good this is unless you have a pizza oven, heated with charcoal. But. Don’t be too sad about it if you don’t. Cooked in the oven, it still makes an exceptionally good cookie.