There’s just something about eating your favourite food in a slightly different way that is so exciting to me. Take a chocolate chip cookie for example. Make it extra large, and bake it in a cast iron pan, and magic happens. Seriously.

This recipe is great to serve as a “special” dessert that is still super easy. It’s great to heat up right in its pan to serve warm…..(add a giant scoop of ice cream on top of course!). It’s also perfect if you have a cookie craving, but don’t want to make a huge batch!

I baked mine in an 8-inch pan, but a smaller pan would work just fine, the cookie will be a little thicker is all. Please note that the yield says “for 2-4”, but there is absolutely no judgement if you keep it all to yourself! Hehe. I did come up with this recipe for a “subtle” valentine’s day dessert…and will be eating the whole thing myself thank you very much!

cast iron skillet cookie

recipe: Kelsey Siemens

yield: 1 cast iron pan (6.5-8 inches diameter)

ingredients

1/3 cup (76 g) salted butter, room temperature

1/3 cup (68 g) brown sugar, packed

3 tablespoons (38 g) granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

scant 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

3/4 cup (94 g) all purpose flour

1/3 cup (53 g) dark/semi-sweet chocolate chips/chunks

flaked salt (optional topping - I use maldon salt)

to make the cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Grease a cast iron pan with a bit of butter, and set aside. I used an 8-inch pan, but you could use something slightly smaller which will yield a thicker cookie.

In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars, for 2-3 minutes on medium high speed, until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla, and mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the baking soda, pinch of salt, and flour. Add dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until just barely incorporated. Add the chocolate, and use a spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.

Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until the center is no longer translucent. If using a smaller pan, the bake time might be a bit different, so just keep an eye on it. For a gooey cookie, remove before the center looks set (it will continue to cook a bit once removed from the oven). For a crunchier cookie, bake until golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with flaked salt if desired.

Cool slightly, but this cookie is best served warm and with a scoop of ice cream. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two, or preferably in the freezer.

tip: if making ahead, place the whole pan and cookie into the oven to warm slightly before serving.

happy cookie baking!