This recipe is not for the faint-hearted. I could feel my arteries hardening as I whipped it up for my hungry teenagers this afternoon. Perfect fare for a wet winter’s afternoon. It’s school holiday time again. The weather is too miserable to venture out. We have had days of lashing rain and king tides. Courtesy no doubt of that pesky supermoon. What to do? Nothing more than cook and eat and take it easy. Granted it’s been an incredibly busy term so they deserve it. Especially my daughter who ventured out at 5.30 am for her regular swim squad session. For the record I only had the merest taste of this giant chocolate chip extravaganza. Not because it didn’t taste amazing, it certainly did, but after more than twelve weeks on the 5-2 diet my sugar cravings seem to have all but disappeared.

Inspiration for this very popular afternoon treat came from Hello Homebody’s excellent post Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie. I was idly browsing my reader this morning and it caught my teenage son’s attention. A warm giant sized chocolate chip cookie drizzled with hot  chocolate fudge. A true cookie aficionado this was his  idea of heaven. Or perhaps nirvana. Something new and different we had not tried before.

So here is my very first attempt at a skillet cookie. Mixed and baked in one pan using one of our favourite white choc chip and caramel cookie recipes. Quick, easy and versatile. While the cookie baked in the oven I cobbled together a chocolate fudge sauce. To be drizzled over the warm cookie with fresh strawberries and vanilla ice-cream. An incredibly delicious, once in awhile treat. Unless you’re young and athletic.

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One Pan White Chocolate Chip Caramel Skillet Cookie With A Hot Chocolate Fudge Sauce, Strawberries and Ice Cream.

Serves 4 Hungry Teenagers

115 grams butter
½ cup caster sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 egg
1 ½ cups plain flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup white chocolate chips

PREHEAT oven to 180 C.
MELT butter in a 20 cm oven proof skillet over medium-low heat.
STIR in sugars and vanilla until mixture is smooth and well caramelised. Remove from heat. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
WHEN skillet has cooled, whisk an egg into the warm butter and sugar mixture.
ADD sifted flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth and well combined. Lastly stir in white chocolate chips.
BAKE  for 15-25 minutes, until golden on the top and around the edges, but still soft in the center.
SERVE straight out of the oven with hot chocolate fudge sauce, strawberries and vanilla ice cream.

Hot Chocolate Fudge Sauce

1 cup pouring cream
1/2 cup, firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 tablespoon butter
200g good-quality dark cooking chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

COMBINE cream, brown sugar, vanilla, golden syrup and butter in a small saucepan. STIR over medium-high heat and bring to the boil.
REDUCE heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
REMOVE from heat and stir in chocolate until melted. Whisk until smooth.