Salted Caramel Skillet Cookie

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A single giant chocolate chip cookie baked in a cast-iron skillet, with pockets of soft salted caramel hidden through the dough. Pulled from the oven while the middle is still molten so it collapses into a warm, spoonable pool under a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Brown butter and a two-hour dough rest do most of the flavor work; the skillet does the rest.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 tsp flaky sea salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks or chips

• 1 tsp flaky sea salt
• 1 pint vanilla bean ice cream

Instructions

1. Make the caramel: combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar and the water in a small heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally, 7 to 10 minutes, until the syrup turns a deep amber and just begins to smell toasty. Watch it closely in the last minute — it goes from amber to burnt fast.
2. Off the heat, pour in the warm cream in a slow stream while whisking; it will bubble up violently, so stand back. Whisk in the 3 tablespoons butter a few pieces at a time, then the 3/4 teaspoon flaky salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Pour into a heatproof bowl or measuring cup and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. It should be thick but still pourable.
3. Brown the butter: melt the 3/4 cup butter in a light-colored skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling often, 4 to 6 minutes, until the milk solids at the bottom are golden brown and it smells nutty. Scrape everything, browned bits included, into a large mixing bowl and let cool 10 minutes.
4. Whisk the brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar into the warm brown butter until smooth. Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla and keep whisking a full minute — the mixture should look glossy and slightly thickened.
5. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Add to the wet ingredients and fold with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. Fold in the chocolate. Cover and rest the dough at room temperature 30 minutes (or refrigerate up to 2 days, letting it soften 30 minutes before shaping) — the rest hydrates the flour and deepens the flavor.
6. Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 10-inch cast-iron skillet generously, including the sides. Press slightly more than half the dough into the skillet in an even layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border of bare skillet around the edge.
7. Dollop about 1/2 cup of the cooled caramel over the dough in 8 to 10 spoonfuls, keeping it away from the edges so it doesn't weld to the pan. Tear the remaining dough into flat pieces and lay them over the caramel, pressing the seams together lightly so the caramel is mostly sealed in. Don't smooth it perfectly — the craggy top bakes better.
8. Bake 22 to 26 minutes, until the edges are set and deep golden, the top is puffed and cracked, and the center 3 inches still look soft and slightly wet. A toothpick in the middle should come out with moist dough on it. Underbaking is the point — pull it now.
9. Sprinkle immediately with the remaining 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt and let the skillet sit 8 to 10 minutes so the edges firm up and the center settles into a gooey pool. Warm the leftover caramel for 15 seconds in the microwave and drizzle over the top.
10. Serve straight from the skillet with big scoops of vanilla ice cream and spoons for everyone. It's best in the first 30 minutes, while the center is still molten.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Frozen Chocolate–Caramel Peanut Nougat Bars

Blueberry Peach Buckle with Almond Streusel

Creole Cream Cheese Cheesecake with Salted Caramel and Dark Chocolate

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem