Did you know that you can use other tools besides a baking sheet to cook a cookie? In fact, doing so can add additional toasty-goodness notes of flavor ... and get that cookie in your mouth faster!
Now we're playing with familiar recipes, and adding tweaks. You're browning some butter, and shifting the normal 2- or 3-bite cookie to one big round.
You can actually bake any cookie recipe in a skillet. Pretty cool, huh? Makes it the perfect thign to then top with a scoop of ice cream, maybe? Something that might be a little harder to do if you are simply eating a warm cookie out of your hand.
Brown Butter Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
1 12-inch cookie
Ingredients
14 T unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour – I use King Arthur’s unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cup (10-ounces) bittersweet chocolate chips (preferably 60% cacao)
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts toasted (optional)
Optional – Maldon or flaky sea salt crystals
Directions
Preheat oven to 375.
Make dough:
Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 12-inch oven-proof skillet (cast-iron or oven-proof) over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Do not wash pan; just set aside.
Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted. Add both sugars, vanilla, and salt, and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
Once dough is finished, transfer the dough to the 12-inch cast iron or ovenproof skillet. Press the dough down with a spatula to flatten, covering the bottom of pan. Smooth out the top and make sure the cookie is even. Top the cookie with some coarse sea salt, if desired. If you’re not a fan of salty cookies, then skip this step.
Bake until the dough is a deep golden brown along the edges, and the center has set, about 20-25 minutes. You can always test your cookie with a toothpick inserted into the center. My cookie took 23 minutes to bake to perfection, but ovens vary, so just take a quick peek at 20 minutes and gage it from there. Don’t over bake, as it will continue to cook a few minutes out of the oven. The cookie will be heavy, so make sure you lift it out of the oven with both hands (using pot holders, of course). Transfer to a wire rack or oven top to cool a bit before slicing.
Cut the cookie into wedges like you would a pie, and serve up the cookie as is with a cold glass of milk, or you can top it with some vanilla ice-cream.
This cookie is best when served warm or day one. If you’re bringing the cookie to a party or eating it later, just cover the skillet with some tin foil after the cookie has cooled, so it stays fresh.
Got leftovers? Don’t store the cookie in the skillet. Remove the leftover cookie wedge from the skillet and wrap it tightly in tin foil.