Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, brown ¾ cup of unsalted butter (1.5 sticks), swirling constantly until the foam subsides and the milk solids turn golden brown and smell like toasted hazelnuts, about 5–6 minutes. Pour the browned butter into a large bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Whisk ¾ cup of packed brown sugar and ¼ cup of granulated sugar into the cooled brown butter until fully combined. Beat in 2 large room temperature eggs and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and thick.

3. 3

   Stir in 1¾ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt until just combined. Gently fold in 1½ cups of semisweet chocolate chips and ½ cup of roughly chopped walnuts.

4. 4

   Spread the dough evenly back into the same cast-iron skillet (no need to wash it, as the browned butter residue adds flavor). Sprinkle the top generously with flaky sea salt.

5. 5

   Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes until the edges are set and deeply golden, but the center still looks glossy and slightly underdone. It will continue cooking on the hot skillet after being removed from the oven.

6. 6

   Serve warm, straight from the pan, with generous scoops of vanilla ice cream on top for a delicious dessert.