Giant Candy Bar Cookie Skillet
Currently helping my toddler find his chocolate bar that I ate last night.
This happens a lot, as I have zero control over a rather vicious sweet tooth. If a holiday involves my kids getting candy, like Valentine’s Day, I typically eat it.
I can only finagle my way out of this sticky situation (no pun intended) so many times before my jig is up. So this year, going against all my natural (selfish) instincts to devour every peanut butter cup in sight, I created something the whole family could enjoy: a Giant Candy Bar Cookie Skillet. This scrumptious cookie skillet is an inventive way to use up all your leftover holiday chocolate (if there is any).
Essentially a GIANT chocolate chip cookie with chunks of candy bars mixed in, the center is melted and slightly underdone. Serve it warm and top it with chocolate sauce. It's seriously ridiculous. Involve your kids in the baking, they will love every minute. I let my boys do all the unwrapping and candy bar placing, pretty sure a few candy bars disappeared into tiny bellies during that process, but who am I to judge?
Giant Candy Bar Skillet
* Makes one 9" to 12" cast iron cookie skillet
2 3/4 cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon baking soda (at high altitude, decrease by 1/4 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar (if at high altitude, decrease by 1 tablespoon)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (grade B recommended)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups Hershey's milk chocolate chips
18 (or more) unwrapped chocolate candy bars, roughly chopped. I used Hershey's, Reece's, Heath Bars, and Butterfingers, which are all gluten free.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a large cast iron skillet.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In an electric mixer, on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugars till light and fluffy. About 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
With mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, maple syrup, and eggs, one at a time. Mix till blended.
Slowly add the flour mixture, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix till just blended.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Dip your fingers in flour, so the cookie dough doesn't stick to you, and press half of the dough mixture into floured cast iron skillet to cover the bottom. Take half of the chopped cookie bars and scatter over the top. Using your floured fingers, cover with another layer of cookie dough. Top with remaining chopped cookie bars.
Bake for 15-25 minutes. Less time if you want a really gooey cookie and more time if you want a firm cookie texture. Edges should be lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to rest for at least one hour in order for the pieces to hold their shape when cut. Or feel free to dig in immediately.
