Making chocolate chip cookies in a skillet is easier and just as delicious (maybe even more so) than baking them in the oven. You don’t have to scoop out dough for individual cookies and the cast iron gives the cookies a crisp crust and a soft gooey center. What could be better?
Cooking chocolate chip cookie dough in a skillet is faster than rolling it into balls for individual cookies. If you’re having family over you can just add a few scoops of vanilla or coffee ice cream, place the skillet on the table, hand out spoons, and let everyone dig in.
After baking, let the skillet cool for 15 minutes to get the taste of a gooey, fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookie. If you’d prefer it to be firmer, let it cool longer, up to 45 minutes—that is, if you can wait that long!
Servings: 8 to 10
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks/6 ounces/170g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup (155 g) packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1½ cups (173 g) all-purpose flour
- Scant 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Vanilla or coffee ice cream, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the butter and both sugars for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
- Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk, and then beat for 2 minutes more. Scrape down the bowl.
- Add the salt, baking powder, and baking soda and beat briefly to combine.
- Add the flour and mix to combine. Reserve a few tablespoons of the chocolate chunks (or chips) and add the rest to the batter. Mix on low speed until the chocolate is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Using a spatula, spread the dough evenly in an ungreased 10-inch (25 cm) cast-iron skillet (see Pro Tip). Sprinkle the reserved chocolate over the top. Bake for 33 to 37 minutes, until puffed and golden.
- Immediately place an oven mitt over the handle of the skillet to remind yourself that it is hot (it’s easy to forget, and it stays hot long after the cookie has cooled). Let cool in the skillet on a rack for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on how gooey you’d like it.
- Slice the cookie into wedges and serve with ice cream. Cover any leftovers with aluminum foil and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Make-ahead Instructions: The dough can be refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic, for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.
Pro tip: If you don’t have a 10-inch (25 cm) cast-iron skillet, an oven-safe nonstick skillet will work, too, but be careful not to scratch the surface when slicing. You could also use a stainless-steel pan lined with parchment paper or a 2-quart (2 L) baking dish. (With any of these options, start checking for doneness around 27 minutes, as the cookie will bake a bit faster.)
Get the book
Once Upon a Chef Weeknight/Weekend by Jennifer Segal (Clarkson Potter) is available at onceuponachef.com.
Recipe used with permission from Once Upon a Chef: Weeknight/Weekend.
Copyright © 2021 by Jennifer Segal.
