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The Giant Skillet Cookie You'll Love
I think this test is going to unleash a skillet cookie monster in the kitchen. That's a thing, right? If you follow @hearthhealthhappiness, you know I • love • a good bar cookie. I have such fond memories of my mother making bar cookies for special occasions, or random Fridays during the school year (which is a special occasion, right?). The first time I made the bar cookies as a married woman, I actually overmixed the dough - thanks, stand mixer. Lessened learned...mix JUST until combined and scoop flour into the measuring cup to avoid adding too much flour. Here's yet another reason to love the cast iron and just how much it can do! From pizza to cinnamon rolls, I'm starting to re-think my wedding registry. Apparently, we only need a few staple items to make life in the kitchen more fun.
Since the days of my childhood-bar-cookie-memories, I've made a few tweaks to reduce guilt without losing all the flavor. This lighter cast iron skillet cookie substitutes softened butter with EVOO and eggs with flax meal eggs. Though it still contains sugar, you'll find less saturated fat, which is never a bad thing. Plus, putting cookie dough in a cast iron skillet makes a nice, rustic cookie cake that tons of fun. Btw, cookie cakes hold a special place in our hearts, too.
Ode to the bar cookie...
Pro Tip:
The general rule of thumb for substituting oil for butter is to only add about ½ to ¾ the amount of oil compared to butter. I suggest starting with ½ the amount and add more as you gain a sense of the dough texture. Typically, replacing butter with oil is not a 1:1 ratio.
Skillet Cookie Tips
Make the best skillet cookie ever:
- The dough is crumbly, so you will need to use a spatula or back of a measuring cup to pack into the skillet. It's fun!
- Make this vegan-friendly by using vegan chocolate chips.
- If you prefer a chewy center, bake for about 30 - 35 minutes. Those that like a cookie thoroughly baked, plan to keep it in for about 40 minutes, due to the thickness of the cookie batter.
- Nuts are optional. If you do add pecans, I suggest lightly roasting them in a skillet before chopping.
- You can use other types of cooking oil; for example, avocado or pecan oil!
- Top with a scoop of your favorite ice cream or use frosting to make this a true cookie cake. 😉
- Don't cut the cookie in the skillet directly; instead, let it cool, remove from skillet to cut and return to the skillet if you decide to use it as a serving dish.
- My favorite semi-sweet chocolate chips are Trader Joe's brand, but use whichever you prefer!
- Prevent drying out the cookie by scooping flour into your measuring cup, as opposed to using the measuring cup itself as a scoop. Packing flour into the cup means you are adding too much flour, even if a recipe - like this one - uses volume measurements.
Recipe
Cast Iron Skillet Cookie
Ingredients
- 2¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ¾ cup EVOO extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons flax meal for flax meal eggs
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º F.
- Combine 2 tablespoon flax meal with 6 tablespoon water and stir until gelatinous. Place in refrigerator while compiling other ingredients.
- Put pecan halves in a skillet and roast on medium heat for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool before chopping. This step is optional.
- With a stand or hand mixer, beat EVOO, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract until well combined. Slowly add flax eggs, while stirring.
- In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda) and stir to combine. Slowly add dry mixture until just combined. Add additional EVOO by the tablespoon if you feel the dough is too dry. However, the crumbly texture does not mean it is dry - inspect it carefully so as not to overdo the olive oil. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.
- Scoop cookie dough mixture into cast iron skillet and press down using a spatula or the bottom of a measuring cup until the surface is smooth.
- Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until the top crust is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in skillet for about 30 minutes. Remove from skillet to cut. Return cut pieces if serving in the skillet.
Notes
This classic chocolate chip skillet cookie is a favorite in our house, by I'm anxious to try a different flavor. What's your favorite type of cookie? Until next time, I'm raising my giant slice of cookie cake and saying "cheers to your #hearthhealthhappiness!"
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