Date Night Skillet Cookie
It’s that time of year again –Valentine’s Day. I love any excuse to celebrate and Valentine’s Day is notoriously one of the most popular days in the bakery. And because of its popularity in the bakery, I thought why not share some of the magic with everyone around the world who can’t visit the bakery, by gifting you with my perfect date night dessert: a brown butter skillet cookie.
When I was writing my cookbook Bake With Brooki, I knew I wanted to include a dessert section with my favourite recipes from my former dessert restaurant. Yes, you read correctly! Many of you will be learning firsthand that Brooki Bakehouse is not my first foray into the baking business, but in fact, my second.
Many years ago I opened a small dessert restaurant in my home town in Tasmania. It was instantly popular at a local level, but never scraped the sides on the success that would come many years later with Brooki. During the three years I owned the dessert restaurant I honed my loved for baking and learned so much by making many (and I mean many!) mistakes.
One of our most popular recipes was this brown butter skillet cookie. We sold hundreds every week, sometimes hundreds a day. It is a simple recipe that turns something relatively ordinary like a cookie into a masterpiece.
I first tested the recipe without browning the butter and it was delicious. But then I tested the recipe with browned butter and a higher percentage of brown sugar (which is just white sugar with molasses added) and WOW! I knew I had hit the jackpot.
Using browned butter in a cookie recipe is not new. In fact, ask any baker or pastry chef and they will testify to the deliciousness browned butter brings to baking. But cookies? It is next level. You will never sigh at the thought of an additional step in the method again! This one is truly worth it.
So there you have it! The story behind my brown butter skillet cookie which I have lovingly named the date night skillet cookie, or, the only dessert recipe you will ever need for Valentine’s Day!
Serves: 2 in a small skillet pan (double ingredients for a large skillet cookie for Galentine’s Day!)
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
85 g unsalted butter
50 g caster sugar
80 g light brown sugar
1 egg + 1 yolk, room temperature
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda
135 g plain flour
65 g milk or dark chocolate chips
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and lightly grease a 6″ skillet pan.
To brown the butter, place in a saucepan and heat over medium until it melts, stirring continuously. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam around the edges; keep stirring. In about 5 minutes, the butter will turn golden brown. Some foam will subside and you’ll see the butter has changed to a toasted brown colour. The butter is browned when it smells nutty. Remove from the stove.
Place the sugars into a bowl and, using a sieve, pour over the melted butter. You don’t have to use a sieve if you don’t have one, but this will help hold back some of that residue from the brown butter. Mix to combine the sugars and the butter into a paste.
Add the egg, vanilla, salt, bicarbonate of soda and flour, mixing to combine. Set aside to cool before you add the chocolate chips (or you will melt the chocolate!)
Once cool, fold in the chocolate chips and transfer to the prepared skillet pan.
Bake for 10 minutes or until golden on top. Remove the cookie from the oven carefully, as it will be extra hot. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before topping with ice cream and if you fancy, some chocolate fudge sauce.
Top tip:
If you’re hosting a dinner party this dessert is a great option to make in advance. The above recipe is adapted for date night (2 servings), however you can double the quantities of each ingredient for a larger sized skillet cookie. Simply pop your pre-preared skillet cookie in the oven once you have finished dinner and clear the table while it cooks. Top with ice cream and chocolate sauce for the perfect end to a meal!
Watch the tutorial video on Youtube
Words and photographs copyright of Brooke Bellamy and Bake with Brooki. Photographs by Sophie Chan Andreassend for Bake with Brooki (2024). Buy the cookbook here in Australia, here in the United States and here in the United Kingdom & Europe.