Kitchen Sink Skillet Cookie

I'm the first one to say I am not the biggest sweets person. I love a good tiramisu, and I can absolutely appreciate a cupcake, but I don't NEED it. One of the desserts that I have fallen in love with making is a cookie, and a skillet cookie to be exact. I've only made two of them in my life, but I have to admit, this recipe for a kitchen sink skillet cookie is outrageously delicious.

Why bother making a skillet cookie?

Skillet cookies actually take less energy than making traditional cookies!

• No chill: there is zero reason to chill this batter before baking, because we don't need to worry about any spreading. It all bakes up perfectly in the skillet.
• No rolling: forget about getting your hands super dirty and warming the dough, because all you'll need to do is pat the batter into an even layer into the cast-iron skillet and bake. THAT'S IT!
• No rotating racks: this skillet cookie is the only thing that goes in the oven, and there is no need to rotate or turn anything. The cast-iron cooks straight through for the 30 minutes. Super easy!

What's different about a skillet cookie versus a regular cookie?

Skillet cookies generally use the same batter that a traditional cookie recipe would use, except the major difference is that the end result is one large, warm, soft, and delicious cooke in a skillet form. You can definitely turn this recipe into smaller cookies, approximately 24-26 regular size. The fun of making skillet cookies is that it's easy to share, and makes for a perfect dessert for a holiday or a brunch. All you need is a skillet!

Okay, I'm hungry! What are the ingredients for this kitchen sink skillet cookie?

• Flour: you'll need a little more than 2 cups of flour here, so approximately 300 grams of all purpose flour.
• Eggs: the same room temperature eggs for a cookie recipe is in this one, too!
• Cane sugar: we actually use less of this sugar in cookie recipes as the molasses from brown sugar aids in the soft chew that cookies are known for.
• Vanilla extract: any baked recipe will call for extract. You don't need pure vanilla here, so any type of vanilla extract will do.
• Brown sugar: we'll use about 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar here. This will help with the overall texture of the cookie, and of course, flavor!
• Butter: 2 sticks of softened butter is what this recipe calls for. In fact, if the butter is a little too warm it's fine, because we won't need to chill the dough for the fat solids to harden again.
• Add-ins: we're using four different types of add-ins here: chocolate chips, m&ms, peanut butter cups, and chocolate pretzels. This adds soooo much flavor, texture, and makes this recipe super fun to make (and eat).

Cool, so how do we make this skillet cookie?

You'll start by greasing a cast-iron skillet with some butter or cooking spray and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 375º. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy, approximately 3-5 minutes. Crack in the eggs and whisk to combine. Pour in the vanilla and whisk again. To the wet ingredients, pour in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold in with a spatula until half of the batter is formed. Crush the chocolate pretzels and add to the batter, and pour in the m&ms, peanut butter cups, and chocolate chips. Continue to fold in the ingredients until fully combined. Once the batter is formed, pour into the pre-greased cast-iron skillet. Push the batter flat and around the entire surface of the cast-iron skillet, making sure there is an even distribution. Top with extra chocolate chips and m&ms. Bake for 30 minutes. Once done, let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

I would be lying if I said I didn't eat at least four spoonfuls of this delicious skillet cookie when I made it for my son's birthday a few weeks ago. It's insanely chewy, with hints of crunch, salt, sweet, and overall perfect mouthfeel a cookie should be. I can't wait to hear what you think of this one!