“C” is for “Cast-Iron Cookie”

In our household, the only thing better than a batch of chocolate chip cookies is a single, giant skillet cookie. Not only is the scale of it enough to impress my kids, but a cast iron skillet lets you achieve the perfect combination of crispy edges and gooey center. It’s faster to make, too, since you don't have to roll the dough into balls.

Everyone in my family likes the combination of chocolate, tart cherries, and pecans, but you can experiment and add whatever you (or your kids) like to the dough, including milk chocolate or white chocolate chips, dried cranberries or apricots, walnuts, toasted coconut, or some crushed pretzels or cornflakes.

Jessica Battilana is the author of Repertoire: All the Recipes You Need, as well as the San Francisco Chronicle column of the same name.

recipe

Chocolate, Pecan & Cherry Skillet Cookie

Ingredients

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt or ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup pecan halves, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
3 ounces tart dried cherries, coarsely chopped
Flaky salt, for sprinkling on top (optional)

Instructions