Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

Before you start

A skillet cookie is a single big chocolate chip cookie baked in a cast iron pan and served in wedges, usually warm and often with ice cream. Cast iron holds heat well, so the outer ring browns and crisps like a cookie edge while the thick center stays soft and slightly underdone.

Melting the butter right in the skillet saves a dish and greases the pan at the same time; just let it cool before the egg goes in, or the egg starts to cook. The hard part is judging doneness. The middle should look set at the edges of the center but still soft and glossy in a small spot in the very middle, because the pan keeps cooking it for several minutes after it leaves the oven.

Ingredients

• 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter
• 100 g (½ cup packed) light brown sugar
• 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg — room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 190 g (1½ cups, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 170 g (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
• to serve vanilla ice cream and flaky salt — optional

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) with a rack in the center.
2. Melt the butter in the skillet over low heat on the stovetop. Pour all but a thin film into a medium bowl, then use a paper towel to spread the film over the bottom and sides of the skillet. Let the butter in the bowl cool for 5 minutes until warm, not hot.
3. Whisk the brown sugar and granulated sugar into the butter until glossy. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk for 30 seconds, until the mixture thickens slightly.
4. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. Fold in about three quarters of the chocolate.
5. Press the dough evenly into the greased skillet, right to the edges. Scatter the remaining chocolate on top and press it in lightly.
6. Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, until the edges are deep golden and pulling from the pan and the top is golden with a soft, slightly glossy spot about 5 cm wide in the very center.
7. Set the skillet on a heatproof surface and let it rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with flaky salt, then cut into wedges and serve warm, topped with ice cream if you like. Keep a mitt or towel on the handle; it stays hot for a long time.

Tips for success

• Pull the cookie a few minutes before it looks done. Cast iron keeps cooking the center, and a dry skillet cookie loses its point.
• A 30 cm (12 in) skillet works for a thinner, crisper cookie; start checking at 16 minutes.
• For a more caramel flavor, keep the butter on the heat until it smells nutty and shows brown flecks, then cool it a little longer.

Substitutions

Cast iron skillet

A 23 cm (9 in) round cake pan works. The edges will be paler and softer; add 2 to 4 minutes and watch the center.

Semisweet chocolate chips

Chopped dark chocolate bars melt into pools; milk chocolate makes it sweeter. Up to 50 g of the chocolate can be swapped for toasted nuts.

Light brown sugar

Dark brown sugar adds a deeper molasses flavor and a slightly chewier, softer center.

Variations

S'mores skillet cookie

Swap 50 g of the flour for graham cracker crumbs. Press a layer of marshmallows on top for the last 4 minutes of baking.

Peanut butter swirl

Dollop 60 g warmed peanut butter over the dough before baking and swirl it in with a knife.

Troubleshooting

The center is raw and runny under the top

It needed more time or the oven runs cool. Bake until only a small glossy spot remains and let it rest the full 10 minutes.

Edges burned before the middle set

The skillet was very hot from melting the butter, or the rack sat too low. Let the pan cool slightly before adding dough and bake in the center of the oven.

Greasy cookie with a slick surface

The butter was too hot when the sugar and egg went in. Cool it to warm before mixing, and measure the flour by weight.

Storage

This is best eaten warm from the pan. Cover leftovers and keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, then rewarm wedges at 175°C (350°F) for 5 minutes. Do not store food in cast iron long term; move leftovers to a container to protect the seasoning.

Safety notes

A soft center may not get hot enough to fully cook the egg. FDA advises cooking egg dishes to 160°F (71°C); for a gooey middle with less risk, use a pasteurized egg. Never eat the raw dough, which contains raw flour. The skillet handle stays dangerously hot.