Warm Brown-Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
A gooey, golden skillet cookie with nutty brown butter edges and a soft chocolate-studded centre — the sort of cosy treat that makes the kitchen smell like a proper bakery. I’m assuming you’d like a simple oven-baked version for two, using standard pantry ingredients and a small ovenproof frying pan or dish.
Ingredients
Method
- 01
Heat your oven to 175°C (350°F) and place a rack in the centre; the oven is ready when it feels steadily hot as you open the door and no preheating signal remains.
Tip · Preheating first gives the cookie a head start, so the edges set before the centre overbakes. - 02
Put the 75g butter in a small saucepan or induction-safe pan over induction setting 5 out of 9 and cook for 3-5 minutes until it foams, smells nutty, and the milk solids turn chestnut brown.
Tip · Browning butter cooks out some water and creates deep toffee flavour, which makes the cookie taste richer. - 03
Pour the brown butter into a heatproof bowl and let it cool for 5-7 minutes until warm, not hot, and glossy rather than bubbling.
Tip · Cooling slightly stops the egg yolk from scrambling and helps the dough come together smoothly. - 04
Whisk the brown sugar, caster sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla into the warm butter for 30-45 seconds until thick, shiny, and slightly lighter in colour.
Tip · Mixing well here helps dissolve some sugar, which gives you a chewy centre. - 05
Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt until no dry patches remain and the dough looks soft, thick, and slightly sticky.
Tip · Stop as soon as the flour disappears; overmixing can make the cookie heavier instead of tender. - 06
Fold in 60g of the chocolate chips until evenly distributed, with a few streaks of melted chocolate starting where the dough is still warm.
Tip · Holding back some chocolate for the top makes the finished cookie look more inviting. - 07
Lightly grease a 16-18cm ovenproof skillet or small baking dish, then press the dough in an even layer and scatter the remaining 15g chocolate on top.
Tip · An even layer helps the cookie bake uniformly, so you get crisp edges and a gooey middle. - 08
Bake the skillet cookie for 12-16 minutes until the edges are golden brown, the centre is puffed but still slightly soft, and the kitchen smells buttery and sweet.
Tip · Pulling it out while the centre still looks a little underdone keeps it fudgy as it finishes setting from residual heat. - 09
Rest the skillet cookie for 10 minutes until the centre settles, the chocolate turns molten, and the pan feels warm rather than fiercely hot.
Tip · Resting lets the structure firm up so it scoops beautifully instead of falling apart.
