Cooking with Casey: Cookie Cake!

Any one who knows me knows that I love to bake and I am always willing to try new things. I love cookies like no one's business, so this was right up my alley!

I got this recipe off MyRecipes.com so I cannot take credit. But as usual I did my own spin on things because I didn't have everything needed (no room for a cast iron pan in this condo!) so therefore I SHALL take credit. mwahaha

I made this for my brother and his wife for their one year anniversary. I also ate a bunch, as did my friend Sarah...and we all loved it. This is definitely being done again one day!

Here is the photo from the website:



MMMMM

Ingredients:

• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• Assorted M&M's or sprinkles

 Now the M&M and sprinkles are optional, so for that part use whatever you want! I iced the cake for my brother and sis-in-law (I am a terrible decorator, so I use icing to prove I really made it)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat both sugars and the butter until smooth. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir well with a wooden spoon. The dough will be stiff. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Secret Step 3: Taste Test Cookie Dough

 
Now a lot of people are all "oh no! raw eggs!". But the risk of salmonella is actually quite low. And my coworker just got Listeriosis from contaminated cheese slices. Basically nothing is safe, so you might as well steal a pinch of cookie dough :)

4. Spray a 10-inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray. Pat the cookie dough evenly into the skillet and decorate the surface with M&M's or sprinkles. Bake until the edges are lightly browned, about 30 minutes. (I actually cooked mine for about 50 minutes. I think the cast iron helps it cook faster)

 5. Remove the skillet from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Cut the cookie into 16 wedges and serve it directly from the skillet using a pie server.

Here are my tips to baking this that may help you
- soften butter, but dont melt it. This makes a huge difference in the softness of cookies. I like to cut up my butter into 1 inch cubes and microwave for 10 second intervals until it feels soft. Usually 20-30 seconds
- pack your brown sugar in! If the instructions for a recipe say to pack- do it!
- lots of cookie recipes get hard to stir at the end. Wash your hands thoroughly and just get in there!
- check to see if it is cooked by sticking a toothpick in- if it comes out clean, then it is cooked! I didn't have a toothpick so I used a skewer. And I kept hitting chocolate so it was a fail overall

Once completed, cut off chunks to eat yourself and pack up the rest for a loved one!