Chocolate Pecan Skillet Cookies

Ingredients:

• 165 g unsalted butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups premium flour
• 0.5 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp. 220g pecan halves, coarsely chopped
• Vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)

Preparation:

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 175°C.
2. In a 25 cm cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, then let cool for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs until smooth. Pour in the butter from the skillet and whisk until smooth. Do not wipe the skillet clean.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour and egg mixtures into the dough, being careful not to overmix. Set aside 1/4 cup of the pecans; fold the rest into the dough.
4. Pour the batter into the greased pan, gently spreading it out to the edges and smoothing the surface. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup pecans on top and press lightly with a rubber spatula to adhere them to the batter. Bake until the tops of the cookies are cracked, the edges are lightly browned and crisp, and the center still comes out soft when pressed lightly, 40-45 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Slice the cookies into wedges and serve warm with ice cream, if desired.