Lava Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Lava Chocolate Chip Cookie

Recipe courtesy of Franco Noriega

• Level: Easy
• Yield: 4 cookies
• Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 of 4 servings): Calories 585, Total Fat 28 g, Saturated Fat 16 g, Carbohydrates 84 g, Dietary Fiber 3 g, Sugar 55 g, Protein 7 g, Cholesterol 84 mg, Sodium 342 mg
• Total Time: 1 hour (includes cooling time)
• Active Time: 30 minutes

Few desserts rival a chocolate chip cookie with molten chocolate at its center. These are baked individually in small cast-iron skillets and finished with a cold scoop of vanilla ice cream for a warm-and-cold contrast that feels like an open-faced ice cream sandwich.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, plus extra for garnish
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Special equipment: four 4-inch cast-iron skillets

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove from heat and stir in the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar. Let cool slightly (about 5 minutes), then add the vanilla and whisk in the egg until smooth. Gently fold in the flour, baking soda, and kosher salt until a dough forms. Roughly chop 4 ounces of the semisweet chocolate and fold it into the dough.
3. Divide the dough into four equal portions. Break the remaining 2 ounces of chocolate into small pieces. Working with one portion at a time, press the dough into a 4-inch cast-iron skillet, place one quarter of the small chocolate pieces in the center, then fold the dough over so the chocolate is fully enclosed. Press each cookie to spread evenly to the skillet edges. Repeat with remaining dough and chocolate.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, until the tops are set and the edges are lightly golden.
5. Top each warm cookie with a 1-ounce scoop of vanilla ice cream and, if desired, garnish with shaved chocolate curls. Serve immediately.

Tip: Chilling the dough before baking is optional; it will increase baking time by about 4 minutes if chilled.