Skillet Chocolate Chunk Cookie

I’ve had 2 little cast iron skillets sitting around my kitchen for a while now and when I saw this recipe I decided it was time to put them to good use. Since my husband can’t have gluten or dairy*, I split this recipe in half and made one skillet gluten free for him and used regular ingredients for the other skillet for my son and I to share. The full recipe is for an 8 inch skillet but it splits in half nicely for my 2 little 6 inch pans.

* While some people with food sensitivities/allergies cannot have any dairy, my husband is thankfully able to have butter. It is the protein in the dairy products that he and many people are sensitive to, but butter contains almost no protein so it does not cause an inflammatory response for him. If you suspect that you have food sensitivities/allergies, I strongly suggest that you visit your doctor to discuss testing.

Ingredients:

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup flour (all-purpose or gluten free)

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup sugar

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 large egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup chocolate chunks, chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate

Optional Toppings:

Ice cream (regular or dairy free)

Chocolate sauce

Whipped cream

Toasted nuts

Cherries

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the coconut out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 3 minutes, stir, then bake for another 3-6 minutes (depending on the size of the pieces of coconut and how brown you want them to get). Set the toasted coconut aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the cookie dough. Leave the oven on at 325 degrees.

In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.** In a large bowl stir together the sugar and brown sugar, then cream with the butter, stirring until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour in the dry ingredients and stir until you can only see traces of flour. Fold in the coconut and chocolate chunks. Spread the cookie dough in the pan(s) and smooth the top. Bake for 28-38 minutes, depending on the size of your pan(s). The cookie is done when it begins to pull away from the side of the pan and the center looks set. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

Serves 4-6

**When I split this recipe in half to make one skillet gluten free, I had 2 bowls for the dry ingredients. The first bowl had ½ cup all purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt while the second bowl had ½ cup gluten free flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ kosher salt. Combine the sugars, butter, egg, and vanilla as above. Split this mixture into 2 equal parts and divide them between the 2 bowls of dry ingredients. Carry on with the remainder of the instructions.

Source: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/chocolate-chunk-coconut-pecan-skillet-cookie.aspx