Chocolate Chunk–Pecan Cookie Sundaes with Salted Caramel Sauce
Serves 12
This dessert is decadence personified: luscious pecan-chocolate chunk cookies topped with great ice cream, and a “to die for” salted caramel sauce. The cookies are baked and served in individual cast-iron skillets. Although the recipe serves 12, bake as many cookies as you have guests and pans, and keep the remaining cookie dough and sauce in the refrigerator in covered containers. Or, freeze individual balls of dough and bake them whenever you want a special dessert. To serve 12, you could also bake one large cookie in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and bring it to the table while still warm.
INGREDIENTS
1 stick (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature, + butter to grease pans
½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate chunks (about 6 ounces)
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans
Salted Caramel Sauce (page 96)
Vanilla or chocolate ice cream
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease as many 6-inch cast-iron skillets as you will use or a 10-inch skillet with butter.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until smooth.
Stir in the egg and vanilla. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir until smooth. Mix in the chocolate chunks and the pecans.
For each cookie, scoop out a level ¼-cup measure of the dough (or weigh out 2-ounce portions on a kitchen scale) and put the dough in the center of the 6-inch pan. Repeat until all the pans are filled, then put them in the oven and bake until the cookies are lightly browned, about 13 to 15 minutes. Remove the pans and let them cool until the cookies are warm, not hot.
(Alternatively, put the dough into the 10-inch skillet, flatten into a 1-inch thick disc, and bake at 325°F until done.)
Place a scoop of ice cream on each cookie (or cut the large cookie into 8 to 12 slices while still warm), drizzle on the caramel sauce, and serve.
