Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet and Recognition

My husband’s birthday is December 12th, the time of year when everyone is thinking about everything else but someone’s birthday. To boot, this past year his special day fell on a Monday; arguably the most boring day of the week to have a birthday.

My husband never seeks out recognition, which is all-the-more reason why I wanted to bake him a cake and make his day special. In the midst of the workweek and holiday hustle and bustle, I also wanted to make it simple.

His excitement and appreciation overwhelmed me, and made me realize how far a simple gesture of recognition goes, yet how rarely it is offered.

Recognizing the person at DMV for making your experience efficient and pleasant goes farther than you might think. A thank you to an employee for doing the everyday, mundane part of the job can literally be the highlight of their week. Acknowledging a loved one’s act of kindness may not be the reason they did it, but letting them know still feels good. And the best part about recognition is it’s contagious and the good will gets passed around.

Simple gestures of recognition cost little to nothing, but the results they yield are immeasurable, and their ripple effects spread far and wide.

This recipe is about as simple as baking gets. So, if you’re not a baker and want to get alot of bang for your buck recognizing a loved one, this is your recipe. And if you don’t have the time or desire to make the frosting (although it is really damn good!), go for the good ole' Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker. There’s no shame in that game.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet and Recognition

(Gluten-free with Dairy Free Option)

Cookie Skillet Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp cup-for-cup gluten-free baking flour*

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup unsalted butter (substitute plant-based butter for dairy-free option)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg large

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ¼ cups chocolate chips/chunks

Frosting Ingredients:

16 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

2 Tbsp unflavored, unsweetened almond milk, more if needed

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar, divided

Pinch of salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Coat a 10-12" cast iron skillet with baking spray.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the melted butter to a large bowl along with the brown and granulated sugars and lightly mix with a spatula or spoon until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla extract and lightly mix until well combined. Add in the flour mixture and mix until a smooth batter forms. Add the chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed. Scoop the batter into the skillet and distribute evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes, depending on whether you want a gooey or more firm center. The edges should be golden brown. If frosting, allow to cool completely first.

While the cookie skillet is baking, make the frosting. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy.  Add the milk and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add in 1 ½ cups of the powdered sugar and beat.  Gradually add in the remaining powdered sugar in batches until well-combined and creamy. If not at the desired spreadable consistency, either add a little bit of milk at a time to make it thinner, or a little powdered sugar at a time to make it thicker.

Note:

* Cup for cup gluten-free baking flour can be replaced with the same amount of regular all-purpose flour should you not need to make it gluten-free. I promise, though, you’ll never know this is gluten-free.