Some days, you don’t feel like taking the time to bake a full batch of cookies. You don’t want to convert the recipe to make just what you need, nor do you feel like freezing some of the dough for later. There are days when you just want a quick fix, easy cookie that you can take a chunk out of.
Enter the concept of the skillet cookie: one large cookie that maybe takes a few extra minutes to bake, but in the end, requires much less preparation time on your part. Plus, slice into it while it’s still slightly warm, top it with ice cream, and it tastes like you put more effort into this cookie than you actually did. Let’s be real–those are some of the best bakes.
Now, skillet cookies are great for cookies with large, melted chunks of chocolate or peanut buttery goodness, but I wanted to make something a little bit different. This Baklava Skillet Cookie begins with the nutty flavor of brown butter, adds in the earthy notes of pistachios, almonds, and walnuts, and brings it all together with the sweet flavor of honey and citrus-y, spicy notes of orange zest and cardamom. You can tell it’s meant to represent baklava when you bite into it, but it’s also its own dessert–even those who aren’t fond of the Mediterranean dessert have expressed a fondness for this cookie.
I first had baklava when I was in New York. It was the Artistic Director’s birthday and he hated cake. The wife of the theater’s Managing Director made him baklava instead. The fact that it was homemade made it about one-hundred times better than any store-bought variety would have been. The layers were crispy, the nuts were full-bodied, and the syrup was sweet. She made it at least once after that and both times, I ate possibly more than I should have.
I knew I wanted to create a version of baklava all my own. It’s been almost six-years and I’ve still yet to get layering. Instead, I took the flavors and threw them into this cookie. You don’t get the crispy filo-dough, but you do get the crispy edges of this cookie’s crust. The sweetness is toned down a bit in cookie form which brings more balance to the flavors, and the syrup is rolled into the cookie rather than slathered all over it. It’s neater and easier to make and eat!
If you’re looking for something quick and easy to impress a crowd–this skillet cookie will do the trick!
| Cook Time | 25-30 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1/2 cup brown butter
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg large
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup pistachios shelled and chopped
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- 1/4 cup almonds chopped
- 1 orange zest only
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Ingredients
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- Brown the butter: Cut your butter evenly into cubes and line them on the bottom of a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, melt the butter. Allow it to bubble and foam for about five minutes, stirring occasionally with a spatula to keep the heat evenly distributed and to keep the milk solids from sticking to the bottom of the pan. After five minutes, remove the pan from the heat and swirl for 15 seconds. It should start to smell a bit nutty and the color of the butter will be noticeably darker. Pour the butter into a small bowl or ramekin and stick in the freezer for ten minutes to keep it from browning any further.
- While the butter is cooling, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and oats in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 10-inch skillet (I tend to use spray canola oil to grease mine, but vegetable oil or butter will work just as well here). Set aside.
- Using a medium to large saucepan, warm the honey and the lemon juice over medium heat until it is thin and pourable. Add the chopped pistachios, walnuts, and almonds to the pan. Stir in the cardamom and orange zest until everything is covered by the honey/lemon juice syrup. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool while you prepare the cookie dough.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with a hand mixer, or with a wooden spoon, mix together the slightly cooled brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar, until fluffy and combined. Add the egg and vanilla, one at a time, mixing until it all comes together. (If using an electric mixer/stand mixer, do this on medium high-high).
- Add in the dry ingredients, half at a time, mixing until just combined. Stir in the nut and honey syrup mixture.
- Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared skillet and even out the top. Bake 25-30 minutes; the middle will still be a bit soft. If the cookie begins to brown too much while baking (this usually happens for me around the 20 minute mark), just cover the top of it with a piece of foil.
- Remove the cookie from the oven and allow to cool in the skillet. Slice and serve while still warm.