Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

One of our favorites. Amazing out of the oven with a pint of vanilla ice cream piled on top. A fun dinner party dessert. Plus, mix it up and make it “garbage,” add any variation of sweet, chocolate, or crunch to the batter.

Photo credit: Taste of the South Magazine

ingredients

• 3 cups whole-wheat flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

• 8 ounces / (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, plus more for buttering the pan

• 1 cup dark brown sugar

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 8 ounces / 225 g bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped into 1/4- and 1/2-inch pieces

• Variations: Add any of these variations: pretzels, mini-peanut butter cups, pecans or walnuts, dried cherries, marshmallows, graham cracker chunks. Or leave it plain but mix up the chocolates (smoked chocolate chips, bittersweet, milk, semi-sweet, white).

directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle.

• Butter a 10 or 11-inch cast iron skillet, one that is at least 2-inches deep. (If you’re unsure, measure, because if you use a too small skillet, you’ll have a messy overflow.)

• Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl.

• In another large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and the sugars. Mix just until the butter and sugars are blended, about 2 minutes using the mixer on low speed. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl along the way.

• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is combined. Mix in the vanilla.

• Add the flour mixture to the bowl and blend on low speed until the flour is barely combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

• Add most of the chocolate (and additions) to the batter. Mix just until the chocolate is evenly incorporated. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then scrape the batter out into the skillet, pressing it out into an even layer.

• Sprinkle any remaining chocolate across the top, and casually press it into the dough a bit, just enough that it isn’t riding directly on top of the dough.

• Bake the cookies for 35-45 minutes, or until until the dough is a deep golden brown along the edge, and the center has set. Don’t over bake.

• Remove from oven and let cool a bit before slicing into. Cut into wedges or small squares.

yield

Makes one large skillet cookie, which you can cut into as many cookies as you like.

(Recipe from 101 Cookbooks.)