This week's rare blue super moon seems to be causing me to so all sorts of strange things. Which might explain why I am having a rare week of self disclosure. In my last post I shared how complete strangers have come to influence my book and movie choices. Although I intentionally, I left out the role my friends play in these decisions to avoid crossing into too much information (TMI) territory. So here goes my next admission, one possibly showing a little less restraint. After almost a year of going to yoga three, four, sometimes five days a week I am still finding it challenging; I am pretty sure I am only marginally better than I was when I started; and, I continue to find yoga's underlying 'seek to be your best self, not seek to be THE best' philosophy to be incongruent with my competitive self. For all of the stretching, balancing, and 'how could that be humanly possible' poses my body has experienced over the last twelve months, one would think (or at least I think) I should have the strength and flexibility of someone at least half my age. Or at least have mastered the graceful and effortless flow of a handful of poses. But that hasn't happened....yet. I still hold out the semi-impossible expectation that one day it will. Yoga requires a relative high degree of concentration. But when I am dripping wet and on the verge of feeling pushed beyond my physical limits, I find my mind suddenly unable to translate yoga language (malansana, tadasana, trikonsana, supta baddha konasana, chataranga dandasana, and even shavasana) into English. You might wonder how I managed to earn a doctorate degree and not be able to have mastered the language of yoga no matter what. I am wondering the same thing! We are reminded in almost every yoga class to make it 'our practice'. In other words, there are no expectations. The only expectations and intentions are the ones you set for yourself. After spending nineteen years of my life going to school this philosophy continues to feel incongruent with the expectation messages permanently hardwired into my brain. More often than I should admit, I find myself assigning a letter grade during and/or after yoga. And it would be one of those grades I would have cringed at seeing if they ever appeared on a report card. So why would someone like me continue to religiously make yoga an almost daily practice? Well I suppose it's because (a) I am a glutton for punishment, (b) I believe the benefits of yoga, like the benefits of relationships, are endless with ongoing, continuous hard work, (c) I feel my running has benefitted, (d) I treasure the post-yoga coffee time with friends, and, last but not least, (e) I am unwilling to give up my love-hate-love relationship with it. What is it in your life challenging your body, mind, and spirit you don't want to walk away from either?
I believe if you make time for exercise in your life, you should reward yourself. Right? Yes, I know, the benefits of exercise are supposed to be THE reward. But don't we all deserve a little something more to refuel our energy levels? Like maybe something made with chocolate and peanut butter? Aren't they on the list of super foods?
This Sea Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie a la Mode might just be one of those perfect rewards.
After seeing a photo of a chocolate peanut butter skillet cookie on Instagram last week, I set off on yet another down the rabbit hole recipe search. This time there were only dozens, not hundreds of recipes out there. All with a variety of chocolate and peanut butter ingredient variations. Some were made with chocolate chips and peanut butter chips, some with cocoa and peanut butter, and some with chocolate chips and peanut butter. But there wasn't one saying 'pick me, I am the best'. The cocoa and peanut butter combination had the greatest appeal. However, most of the recipes I found didn't specify whether to use unsweetened or Dutch-processed cocoa. After doing a little more research on when to use unsweetened cocoa and when to use Dutch-processed cocoa, I decided probably either would work in this skillet cookie recipe. Instead of making two versions of this skillet cookie, I trusted my chocolate loving instincts and made it using unsweetened cocoa. While I can't tell you if it would be as good as or better using Dutch-processed cocoa, I don't need to know. Not after tasting this one. Swirling creamy peanut butter into the chocolate instead of mixing peanut butter chips chips into the batter made for a visually appealing skillet cookie. It definitely exceeded my eye catching expectations. The sprinkling of sea salt on top pushed this version into contention for the 'pick me I am the best' category.
More than likely you have all of the ingredients in your pantry and refrigerator for this skillet cookie.If you needed a reason to justify why a box of unsweetened cocoa, a pint of vanilla ice cream, and a cast iron skillet are absolute necessities, it would be this Sea Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie. Being able to make this warm chocolatey, peanut buttery skillet cookie whenever you wanted to wow your family and/or friends, have an impromptu gathering, were storm homebound, or simply had a craving for it might be some of them. Or simply having a bite might be reason enough.
The butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar are beaten until light and fluffy. It generally takes three to five minutes of beating at medium-high speed to achieve the perfect state of fluffiness. After beating in the egg and vanilla, the dry ingredients are mixed in only until no streaks of flour remain. The batter will be very thick.
After scraping the batter into a buttered 8" or 9" cast iron skillet, use an offset spatula or large tablespoon spoon to smooth the top. Then drop on small dollops of peanut butter. Use a butter knife to lightly swirl the peanut butter into the cookie batter. Be careful not to over swirl as you want streaks of peanut butter to remain visible. The finishing touch is a light sprinkle of sea salt. It's now ready to go into a preheated 350 degree (F) oven. Baking time ranges from 15-18 minutes.
The Sea Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie is done when the edges begin to firm up but the center remains soft. You definitely do not want to over bake this cookie or wait until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. It will continue to bake in the skillet after being removed from the oven. Letting it rest for five minutes gets your cookie to the best of both cookie worlds eating experience place. Crunchy edges and a warm, slightly gooey center.
You could serve this blissfully delicious Sea Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie without scoops of vanilla ice cream, but why would you? Hold back on sprinkling miniature peanut butter cups if you really have to. But leaving out the vanilla ice cream would be akin to serving pancakes without butter, syrup, or jam. You could do it, but the eating experience would not be the same.
This is one of those desserts where you can pass out spoons, have everyone eat it directly out of the pan, and ultimately let there be a battle of the spoons for the final morsel. However, if you are worried about those who like to slowly savor their desserts not getting their fair share, you can spoon out the cookie into serving bowls and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Either option works!
There are so many reasons why cast iron skillets have been around since the late 19th century. However, if I haven't yet convinced you this dessert alone is worth purchasing an 8" or 9" cast iron pan for, maybe this Dutch Baby with Creme Fraiche and Mixed Berries or this Caramel Apple Dutch Baby ala Mode or this Savory and Hearty Frittata or this Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie would.
You can more than satisfy the sweet tooth of up to six people with this Sea Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie a la Mode. Although you would make four of your chocolate and peanut butter loving friends even happier if you didn't invite two more people to the table.
If you are looking for an easy to make, slightly decadent, insanely delicious, destined to satisfy any chocolate and peanut butter lover dessert, make this Sea Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie a la Mode. You might end up having a love-hate-love relationship with it but refuse to give it up. You can probably guess why.
Sea Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie a la Mode (inspired by multiple sources)
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
8 Tablespoons (114 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup (50 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (128 g) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (23 g) unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch-processed)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg, room temperature
3-4 Tablespoon creamy peanut butter
Sea Salt for finishing
Good quality vanilla ice for serving
Optional: Miniature peanut butter cups for garnish
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Butter an 8 or 9 inch cast iron skillet and set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. In a medium-large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed using a hand mixer until light and fluffy (approximately 3-5 minutes).
4. Add egg and vanilla to the butter/sugar mixer. Beat to combine.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the batter. Beat until blended and no streaks of flour remain.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Use an offset spatula to smooth and spread evenly.
7. Drop dollops of the creamy peanut butter on top of the batter. Use a butter knife to swirl it into the cookie batter. Lightly sprinkle the top of the cookie with sea salt
8. Bake for 15-18 minutes until the edges begin for firm up but is still soft in the center. Be careful to not over bake.
9. Remove from oven and let the cookie rest for 5 minutes (the cookie will continue to bake during this time).
10. Top with scoops of vanilla ice cream. Sprinkle with miniature peanut butter cups, if using. Serve immediately Note: The Sea Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie is best served warm but is equally delicious served at room temperature.
Notes: (1) I used almost four tablespoons of creamy JIF when I made this skillet cookie. (2) If I was making this dessert on the east coast I would serve it with the vanilla ice cream made by Bliss. But since I am here in the midwest, I used Ben and Jerry's vanilla.
Little Compton, Rhode Island (November 2017)
