I was sitting around surfing food blogs in September and came across the most intriguing thing...a cooking challenge. About 70 food bloggers were all posting recipes for macaroni and cheese, and man did they look good!
As I read more I knew I wanted to participate, and one email later I was in! I was so excited and couldn't wait to see what the next challenge would be! I checked my email obsessively the next several days until the next challenge made it's way into my inbox. And I was so excited to see that it was something so delicious...CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES! What's better than a 100 posts on cookies? Just about nothing I'd venture to guess.
And then...the hunt was on! I'm an avid recipe hunter (if you didn't already guess that) and so I loved searching for the best chocolate chip cookie! I think I just might have found the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe! It was tucked away on a post of one of my favorite food bloggers! I hadn't intended to search her recipes, but my planets must have been aligned because there I was scrolling down the page and marveling at the delicious sight. Tracey, from Tracey's Culinary Adventures had given me my inspiration! There, on a post dated February 8, 2011, was the Skillet Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie.
Need I say more?!
Okay, I will...
I was so excited about this challenge that as soon as I had found my recipe I was on a mission to bake it. I always do my baking late at night, for some reason late night baking soothes my soul. I put on Madeleine Peyroux and started gathering my ingredients. An hour later I was leaning against the counter, plate in hand, vanilla ice cream melting on top of the cookie, savoring every bite.
I don't know how Tracey got the first slice out in one piece...she shows a picture of it so nice and pretty with a scoop of ice cream on top. Here's what my first slice looked like...
Sigh. Dreadful. I'm telling myself she made two different cookies. The first one she demolished the first pie slice, the second one she demolished everything but the first pie slice; thus creating two perfect looking cookie parts. Believing this makes me feel better.
I'm happy to share this recipe with you!
The Recipe:
Skillet Baked Chocolate Chip CookieFrom the Kitchen of: Tracey's Culinary Adventures
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter - at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg - at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Recipe Instructions:
-In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
-In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter and sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg and the vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Then add the chocolate chips and mix to incorporate.
-Transfer the dough to a 10 inch cast iron skillet and pat down to make an even layer. Bake until the edges of the cookie are brown and the top is golden, 40-45 minutes (my demented oven only needed 30 minutes to bake my cookie). Do not overbake, it will continue to cook for a few minutes after it's out of the oven.
-Let cool slightly before serving. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.
