skillet dulce de leche stuffed chocolate chip cookie
I celebrated that I didn’t frighten a new coworker I’m training by rushing home and immediately sharing a slice of this Skillet Dulce de Leche Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie with J. Perfectly apt treat to mark something important, don’t you think?
Mom often baked cookie pies – I guess such creations are dubbed “pizookies” which I find a bit obnoxious – when I was younger. If you’re unfamiliar, they’re a cross between a cookie and a cake, so denser than this here skillet cookie and a bit more cohesive, but nonetheless a real treat when you want to spice up your typical batch of yums.
That practice of hers and yesterday’s Cinco festivities inspired this sweet, decadent, gooey, giant dessert. Perfect for baking up this weekend and digging into over a game night.
Dulce de leche is a Latin confection which translates to “candy milk” (roughly) and is made by slowly cooking down milk with sugar. Essentially, then, it is a thick milk-based caramel. You can make your own, but the process for an authentic dupe is lengthy so I opted to buy a can from the grocery store. Nestle’s La Lechera is the one I see most and the one used here. No sponsorship here, FYI.
The base of the skillet cookie is a lovely chocolate chip cookie dough with all your favorites like butter, sugar, and flour. The addition of cinnamon is key to setting it apart from the norm and the spice boosts the dulce de leche flavor in the finished cookie. A bit of brown sugar is important for the texture, but since dulce de leche is so sweet, not much is required.
Swirl half of the dulce into the cookie batter, and leave the other half for spreading in the middle of two thick cookie dough layers. The result is an exceptionally melt-in-your-mouth, slightly but forgivably messy slab that absorbs ice cream like magic.
I have no doubt that a good cinnamon-based ice cream, perhaps a churro flavor, would add another dimension of awesome to the skillet cookie, but I kept it classic with a nondairy vanilla bean variety. Beyond tempting it was to just go at the whole thing with a spoon and shit on portion sizes. I didn’t. My stomach probably thanks me for that, just as it does for not downing a batch of Vegan Mint Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies a few weeks ago.
The same delightful sensation of eating unbaked cookie dough is elicited in each bite. If you’re not a huge fan of that experience, shame on you. Also, you can bake it a bit longer, 25 minutes, for a more set and cake-like texture. Still delicious. You’re just wrong.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Ingredients
- 12 tbsp butter, softened
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 can dulce de leche
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cast iron skillet.
- With a stand or hand mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 the can of dulce de leche until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Whip in egg and vanilla until incorporated.
- Add in flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and beat until mostly combined. Fold in chocolate chips with a spatula.
- With a greased spatula (this makes the dough stick less), spread 1/2 of the cookie dough into the bottom of a skillet. Dollop the remainder of the can of dulce de leche and spread evenly. Top with remaining cookie dough. It is okay if some of the dulce de leche peeks out. Sprinkle a few more chocolate chips over the cookie.
- Bake 20-22 minutes until the top is mostly set. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Serve directly from the skillet with scoops of ice cream or whipped cream!
