I'm a cookie person. I'd give up every other dessert out there for cookies. I wonder why anyone would ever choose something like cake or cupcakes or pie when there are cookies to be had.
After browsing through @OneHungryMama's Ultimate List of Thanksgiving Recipes (drooling, admittedly) I showed it to my husband who continued perusing and, upon finding the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie recipe, declared it "one we need to make immediately!"
He was right. As luck would have it, we had all of the ingredients in the pantry ('tis the season to have pumpkin). Hooray! Stacie's recipe calls for a 12 inch skillet. I only had an 11 inch pie dish. She wrote "[t]he smaller the skillet the thicker and more cake-y this treat will be."
Something had to be done to prevent this delicious sounding cookie recipe from becoming cake-like. And so I made a half dozen cookies so as to leave less batter behind for the pie dish. Success! My kids and I loved the cookies! Once the big skillet cookie was done baking and cooling, we tested the final product. Awesome texture: crispy edges, softer center. Great flavor.
Assuming we can stop nibbling, I'm bringing the rest of it to our Thanksgiving festivities to share the wealth.
Special thanks to Stacie, whose recipe is below - this is a keeper!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
(can be shared with kids 12+ mos)*
Makes one 12″ skillet cookie**
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree (homemade or plain canned; not pumpkin pie filling)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temperature
1 1/2 cup (9 oz) chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and both sugars until mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add pumpkin, vanilla and egg; mix until they are fully incorporated. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.
3. Transfer dough to a 12-inch ovenproof skillet. Press to flatten, covering bottom of pan. Bake until edges are brown and top is golden, about 35 minutes. Be careful not to over bake, especially if you like your cookies a little gooey. Remove from oven and allow pan to cool completely. The cookie best served warm (and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!).
* Note: While there is nothing in this recipe that is unsafe for younger children, I recommend it beginning at 12 months due to the relatively high sugar content. No matter how older your eaters, be sure to serve age appropriate portions. A little of this sweet treat goes a long way for young children.
** Note: The smaller your skillet, the longer the cookie will have to bake. The following is a guideline, but you may want to use a toothpick to check for doneness (it is fully baked when the toothpick comes out clean). Just keep in mind that the cookie will bake further once out of the oven. If you want a gooey cookie, leave the very center just a little “raw.”
– 10″ skillet, approx 40 min
– 9″ skillet, approx 45 min
– large cookies on a cookie sheet, about 1/4 cup of dough, approx 15-17 min
– smaller cookies on a cookie sheet, about 1 tablespoon of dough, 10-12 min