Sometimes You Just Need a Cookie | Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

October 22, 2012 by 23 Comments

Sometimes life just calls for a cookie. And not just any cookie. A humungous cookie that can be made in one bowl (a skillet, to be exact), is ready in less than 30 minutes, and that can be topped with a scoop or two of ice cream, and eaten straight out of said skillet as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Possible life events that may necessitate the making and the consumption of a skillet cookie:

-You had a bad day at work. Make yourself a skillet cookie. Invite friends over. You do not want to be faced with the task of eating the whole cookie yourself. I mean, you do, but you really don’t. You know?

-A good friend is going through a rough time. Make your friend a skillet cookie, give her some wine to help her wash it down (milk, what?), and most importantly, help her eat it.

-It’s that time of the month. Aunt Flo is visiting, the monthly curse, etc. What woman doesn’t use PMS as an excuse to eat a little extra chocolate? See point #1.

-Boy troubles.

-You have chocolate chips in your cupboard that are about to go bad and you must use them immediately, for fear of chocolate going to waste. That just wouldn’t be acceptable.

-You feel like eating a cookie.

-It’s Monday.

But really, if you need an excuse to enjoy a delicious, extra-large, hot, ooey-gooey cookie, you probably wouldn’t have come here in the first place. (However, if you do, I’ll gladly feed you as many excuses as you need. I’ve got your back.).

This recipe comes straight from here. No additions or substitutions needed, it’s quite perfect the way it is. I have made this skillet cookie more times than I care to admit since I first came across the recipe. It’s so darn easy, so good, and I always have the necessary ingredients on hand. Feel free to use your favorite kind of chocolate. My favorite is dark chocolate chips. Rumor has it that dark chocolate is full of many good-for-you things (antioxidants, iron, magnesium). See? This cookie is practically doing your body a favor. Get on it!

Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie (from the lovely Sophistimom)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Melt the butter in an 8-inch cast iron skillet set over medium-low heat. Stir in the sugars and vanilla and remove from heat. Let rest until pan is warm, but no longer very hot, about 5 minutes.

Add in the egg and mix well. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chunks. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until starting to turn golden around the edges, and the centre is just set. Don’t overbake! Enjoy immediately (with ice cream, if you wish).

You’re totally going to burn your tongue on the first bite. Just sayin. 😉

Filed Under: Snacks, Sweet Treats Tagged With: , , , , ,

Love Tastes Good | Red Velvet Sandwiches

February 13, 2011 by 1 Comment

It’s that time of year again. The time where card, flower, chocolate, and lingerie shops make a killing off of the lovestruck population. Truth be told, Valentine’s Day doesn’t hold that much meaning in my life. Single or attached, I’ve never been blown away by what the love holiday has to offer. I mean, shouldn’t every day be Valentine’s Day? Shouldn’t we take every opportunity we can to show our love for the special people in our lives?

This year, I’m going to share my love via baked goods! Instead of supporting the traditional V-day market, I’m going to make homemade goodies for the special people in my life. What better way is there to share love  than through the belly? I came across this recipe on Bakerella and decided to give it a try, based on two things. 1. It looked easy. And 2. It looked delicious. I had no idea there was a mix for red velvet cake. And unfortunately, my local grocery store didn’t have it, so I decided to improvise with a chocolate cake mix and red food coloring. I was slightly concerned when my cookie dough became a sticky gum once everything was mixed together, but I decided to forge ahead. I’m sure glad that I did, because these babies are rather tasty. My cookies were a bit more dense than Bakerella’s cakey creations, likely due to the necessary changes that I made. So, if you decide to try this (and I definitely suggest that you do), try and find a red velvet cake mix. But if that task proves impossible, try my adaptation! Happy eating! And happy love day! <3

Red Velvet Sandwiches (adapted from Bakerella)

1 box red velvet cake mix (or 1 box chocolate cake mix plus 1 oz. red food coloring)

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together. Spoon the dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bakerella suggests using a mini ice cream scoop – I just used 2 small spoons. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire racks until completely cooled. Fill with the icing recipe below. Makes 24 cookies, and therefore, 12 sandwiches.

Cream Cheese Icing

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

1 box powdered sugar

Cream the cream cheese and butter together. Add the vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. Spread between two cookies and sandwich them together. Eat and enjoy!

*This makes a large quantity of icing. I doubled the cookie recipe and found that the amount of icing was just right. However, if you’re just making one batch of cookies, it might be wise to cut the icing recipe in half.

Filed Under: Holidays, Sweet Treats Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Best Dessert Ever in the History of the World | Butter Brickle

January 8, 2011 by 59 Comments

Ok ladies and gents, pay attention. I’m about to share one of the most incredible recipes with you. I was going to be selfish and keep it to myself, but it is too good not to share. If I could only eat one dessert for the rest of my life, I would eat the masterpiece known as Butter Brickle, or Brickle Brackle if you are a member of honey’s family. No matter what you call it, this frozen delight is fantastic. Another family favorite and the birthday “cake” of choice for several people in my life.

Heaven in a pan. Two layers of crumbly cookie and nuts, drizzled with butterscotch, surrounding a thick layer of vanilla ice cream. Does that not sound absolutely delicious?! But beware…if you make this once, you will make it again, and again, and again…and if you share this delectable goodness with anyone else, you will never be able to return to them again without another pan of Butter Brickle. Consider yourselves warned!

But don’t let that stop you from trying this dessert! Immediately! Just drop what you’re doing and make this right now! And keep the first batch for yourself, and eat it out of the pan while laying around your house in your pyjamas on a cold and snowy winter afternoon. I mean, I would never do that, but you should. At least once. 🙂 Enjoy my friends! Happy eating!

Butter Brickle

2 cups flour

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, melted

1 box of vanilla ice cream

1 jar of butterscotch sauce

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, and pecans in a large bowl. Add the butter and mix thoroughly. Spread the mixture evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Watch closely during the last few minutes, as the edges can start to burn.

Using a 9 x 13 inch pan, crumble half of the mixture into the bottom. Top with half of the jar of butterscotch sauce. Cover with ice cream.* Sprinkle the remaining cookie mixture over top of the ice cream and top with the rest of the butterscotch sauce. Cover and freeze for at least a couple of hours before serving.

*Tip: Open your box of ice cream completely and slice the ice cream into 1-inch slices. The ice cream will start to soften slightly once on top of the warm cookie mixture, so let it sit for a few minutes and then spread the ice cream so that it is an even layer.

Filed Under: Sweet Treats Tagged With: , , , ,