Chocolate & Chocolate Chips

The Skillet Cookie

by Cara on February 14, 2012

We came across Rebecca’s Blog, “The Cherry On Top” and just HAD to share her post about the Skillet Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie, a recipe she got from Martha Stewart Living. But we didn’t stop there – curiosity got the better of us, and we decided to test it out. Our VP, Cara Pearson, tested out the recipe for her husband’s birthday…read below for her story!

 

I know this may sound funny but even though I am surrounded by baking all day long, I still LOVE to bake at home. The joy of baking was not something that was handed down to me from my mom or grandmother, it began when I had my first little girl. As a toddler, Lily became very interested in the kitchen and the process of cooking. When we baked cookies together for the first time, I loved watching her smile as she moved her hands through the flour, giggle as we cracked eggs together, oooh and awww as it became a ball of gooey cookie dough and then sit directly in front of the oven until the timer went off. Till this day I am not sure if it is the process of making the desserts, licking the spoon or anxiously awaiting the final product that she loves the most, but I know for sure that she LOVES to bake too. Now that there are three of us (including her little sister Mila) it has become quite cozy in our kitchen as they wiggle around while standing on chairs trying to get in the best position for their turn to measure. I like to tell people that baking with kids is good parenting because they learn how to count, it is a great lesson in patience, and it takes team work; but the fact is, having fresh baked goods in the house ROCKS.

This is why when Emily posted about the Skillet Cookie on our Facebook page the other day, I just could not resist. A cookie cake baked in a skillet? The girls would love that. Better yet their Daddy’s, James’, birthday was coming up and we were planning a fun family night at home for the occasion. We put on our aprons, they climbed up on the chairs and we got to baking. The dough came together in no time but the best part was squishing the dough down into the skillet with our hands. We put it in to bake when we sat down to dinner and once we were finished it was cookie time! The skillet kept the cookie warm as we cut up a slice and paired it with plain ol’ vanilla ice cream. It was thick and gooey, perfect.

Here are a few tips when following the below recipe:

  1. You can add peanut butter cups chopped up for an extra layer of flavor.
  2. Don’t let the dough in the skillet sit out of the fridge for too long before baking
  3. Watch the baking time – our skillet was done in 32 minutes and could have probably come out before (since we like the gooey middle part).
  4. Enjoy!!

 

Skillet-Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie

What You Need:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks, 12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups (about 9 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (or a mix of milk chocolate and semi sweet chips)

What You Need to Do:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until well incorporated.  With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and beat just until combined.  Finally, add the chocolate chips and mix to distribute.

Transfer the dough to a 10-inch ovenproof (e.g. cast-iron) skillet, and press to flatten in an even layer on the bottom of the pan.  Bake until the edges of the cookie are brown and the top is golden, about 40-45 minutes.  Don’t overbake; it will continue to cook a few minutes out of the oven. If using a smaller or larger skillet, adjust cooking time accordingly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

 

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And The Winner Is….

by Emily on April 11, 2011

For St. Patrick’s Day, we asked you to come up with the most tasty cookie in the world, what it’s name would be, and what ingredients it would include. We received multiple entries from all ages with many creative cookies, but our favorite was the creation of 6 year old Olin and his Dark Chocolate Chip, Toffee, and M&M cookies so cleverly called Chipariffic.

So congratulations again, Olin! And thank you all for your creativity. Keep an eye out for our more events in the future – and keep enjoying those cookies! :)

 

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4th Annual Santa Cruz Chocolate Festival

by Emily on January 25, 2011

Our Booth

On January 23rd, 2011, the sun was shining and  chocolate lovers from Santa Cruz and beyond came together to support the UCSC Women’s Club 4th Annual Chocolate Festival. Pacific Cookie Company made  a public appearance at Cocoanut Grove in support of this chocolate tasting benefit, put on to raise funds for re-entry student scholarships at UCSC. We presented three of our top chocolate sellers: the classic Chocolate Chip, our extra chocolate-y Dr. Midnight, and one of my favorites, Mint Condition.

The event was WILDLY successful, and it was great to see such a spectacular turnout!! We hope you enjoyed our chocolate-y cookies and thank you again for all your support!

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Sleeping in the Chocolate Chips

by Cara on August 11, 2010

Stacy & CaraIn August of 1980 I was freshly 3 years old and totally into Care Bears, my sparkly jelly shoes, fascinated by my sister’s obsession with My Little Ponies and all I really wanted to do was roller skate and lip sync to Michael Jackson. But what was most profound that year was the opening of the Pacific Cookie Company on the Pacific Garden Mall in Downtown Santa Cruz. My parents had just moved us from Carmel with the idea to open a cookie store and nothing but our college funds in their pockets. With their promise that they would repay us at some point, my sister Stacy (5 ½ years old at the time) and I thought it was pretty cool. I mean come on, is there a better way to make friends at a new school then letting kids know that your mom and dad make cookies?

PCC FamilyOur family lived and breathed cookies. What I remember about the cookie store that year were the stacks of bags of chocolate chips. I was so enamored by them that I used to nap on the sacks while my parents were working. The employees were mostly young and having a good time chatting while scooping cookies. Then there was the bubble gum ice cream, yum, and watching my dad while he made what seemed to be HUGE batches of cookie dough in the electric mixer. Sometimes I would just sit at one of the tables in the front and watch the customers walking away with a cookie in hand and a smile on their face.

Thirty years later that is what I love the most, smiles. A good cookie can always make a person smile and that is why Pacific Cookie Company still exists. We just make some damn good cookies. Always have, always will.

Happy Birthday Pacific Cookie, Thank you for the memories.

Love, Cara

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Thumbnails of Pacific Cookie Company photos over the years