Chocolate ganache and Almond Joy candy bars are a delicious addition to this Skillet Cookie!
Who doesn’t like Almond Joy Cookies? This AJ (not AI) Skillet Cookie makes an extra-large cookie to share with friends, or dole out for yourself over a four day period – IF it lasts that long. It’s a combination of chocolate chip cookie dough with coconut shared inside as well as on top. The little Almond Joy candy bars bring the entire Skillet Cookie OVER the top. Finish it off with a few drizzles of chocolate to settle everything down. Each cookie serves 4 delicious generous pie-shaped slices.
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It’s easy to make! Mix up your cookie dough with coconut and chocolate chips and spread it into a small cast iron skillet, or a small pie plate or small ceramic oven safe low sided bowl. Press the dough inside, spreading it to the edges. Add chocolate chips, coconut and almond slices on top and bake. Then top with small Almond Joy candy bars. Drizzle with easy to make chocolate ganache and you have an over-the-top Almond Joy Skillet Cookie experience…MMMM…mmmm…mmm…it makes the kitchen smell so good!
This recipe makes 2-4 skillet cookies, depending on the size skillet you use and how thick you spread them. I use a 5” pan to make 3 thick cookies. Sometimes I have some dough left over and make a few individual cookies. One recipe will make a 9”- 10” skillet cookie.
Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.
Prep your pans:
Line them with parchment paper so cookies do not stick, and to make cleanup easy! I cut the paper so a round piece fits in the bottom with two attached “wings” that stick up on opposite sides. Grab the wings to life the cookie out when it has cooled completely.
Gather up Ingredients:
1 C Butter, soft but not melted
1 C Sugar
½ Brown sugar
2 Eggs, room temp
1 T Vanilla extract
1 t Coconut extract, optional
2 ½ C + 2 T Flour
1 T Cornstarch
1 t Baking soda
1 t Salt
2 ½ C Coconut, sweetened, flaked
1 ½ C Chocolate chips, semi-sweet
1 C Almonds, sliced
Gather the Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:
½ C Chocolate chips, semi-sweet
½ C Heavy cream
Gather up your garnish Ingredients:
12-15 Almond Joy Candy Bars, mini sized
¼ C Coconut, sweetened, flaked
¼ C Almonds, sliced
Whisk up your Chocolate Ganache:
-Place the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a heat safe bowl.
-In another microwave safe bowl, heat the heavy cream so it just barely bubbles. Do not boil it.
-Pour the hot heavy cream over the chocolate chips.
-Let it sit for 3-4 minutes, without stirring it.
-Then whisk it until smooth and there are no lumps left. If you need to heat it to melt the chips a little more, go ahead for 5-10 seconds.
-Whisk until smooth and it’s ready to drizzle on top of your baked cookies.
Make and bake your cookies:
-NOTE: If I’m low on butter, I’ll use half shortening and half butter.
-In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until fluffy.
-Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until combined before adding the next one.
-Stir in the vanilla and coconut extracts until combined.
-Sift in the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients until completely combined.
-Stir in the chocolate chips, coconut and sliced almonds.
-Bake at 350F degrees for 20-25 minutes. I check them at the 15 minute mark and rotate the pans. They should be golden brown on the edges and firm in the middle.
-Take them out of the oven and allow to cool in the pans.
-Before they have completely cooled, I sprinkle a little more coconut on top and place 4 Almond Joy bars on each cookie, one candy bar for each of four pieces to cut.
-Then, with a fork thinly drizzle some chocolate ganache on top of each cookie.
-Yum! They are ready to savor and share!
Are there any left for storage?
-I keep the skillet cookies fresh in an airtight container at room temp for 3-5 days.
-To refrigerate them, I keep them fresh for about 7 days in an airtight container.
-If you want to keep them longer, I freeze the cookie dough for up to a month. Then I thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator and bake, according to the directions above. Or, I thaw them in the parchment paper lined cast iron skillet at room temp for about 35 minutes before baking.
-I have also frozen the baked and decorated cookies for a couple of weeks. But I wrap the entire skillet cookie tightly plastic wrap, then place in an airtight container. Or, if I want to use them as grab and go servings from the freezer, I cut and wrap each portion of the skillet cookie in plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container.
These skillet cookies are to die for! Spread the happiness with friends and family. Whoever you decide you want to “die” with, savor them (both the cookies and friends) and “Bake your own Memories!”
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