Pizookie, the best dessert combination

I am sure not many of you are familiar with Pizookie. Well that’s the point in writing about it so that people enhance their knowledge base and encourage them to be more creative with the food they eat almost every day. I would say that it is a relatively new food item but is gaining popularity. Pizookie is a delicious mega chocolate chip cookie cooked in a cast iron skillet and then topped with ice cream. I am sure that this will be one of the best deserts you have ever had. This dessert is one of my new favourites, which is a combination of two of my all-time favourite desserts – cookie and ice cream. I always say there is nothing in the world compared to the taste of freshly baked cookie. And any freshly baked sweet dish accompanied by ice cream is one of the best dessert combinations anyone can think of.This dessert is a recent creation from a restaurant chain called BJ’s Brewhouse. BJ’s was founded in 1978 and first opened in Santa Ana, California, as BJ’s Chicago Pizzeria by Mike Phillips and Bill Cunningham. Phillips and Cunningham sold their company to their accountants Paul Motekoa and Jerry Hennessy in 1991. By 1996, seven restaurants had opened between San Diego and Los Angeles. Originally known as Chicago Pizza, the company went public about 1996. By 2013 the restaurant had 136 restaurants in 15 states. The restaurant chain is one of the most preferred destinations for young diners. The restaurant menu reads like this – You’re never too old to enjoy our freshly baked, hot out of the oven, rich and delicious cookie topped with two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream and served in its own deep dish, your choice of chocolate chunk, white chocolate macadamia nut, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin or OREO.In this recipe, you’ll use a 9’ to 10’ skillet. You can also buy a pie pan that will work perfectly for this delicious treat. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can make this in a glass pan as well. You might not get the sides as crispy, but a chocolate chip cookie is still a chocolate chip cookie. If you decide to make it in a glass dish, you need to lower the oven temperature by 25 degree, to avoid burning your cookie. When the cookies edges become golden, the cookie is cooked and then you can remove it from the oven.To make Pizookie – In a skillet, combine butter and sugar until combined. Stir in vanilla and egg mixture. Slowly stir in the flour, baking soda and salt, then fold in chocolate chips. Press the prepared cookie dough into the bottom of an 8-inch cast iron skillet and bake for 8-10 minutes. It should be just cooked from the sides but gooey and under done in the centre. Take out from the oven and then top it with ice cream scoop and then drizzle with chocolate sauce. Serve immediately before the ice cream melts away. There are other versions that you can make like brownie cookie, sugar cookie, chewy oatmeal raisin cookie, peanut butter cookie. Change up your cookie and ice cream flavours for limitless dessert options.Pizookie Serves 4IngredientsUnsalted butter ½ cupSugar 1/3 cupBrown sugar 1/3 cupVanilla extracts 1 tspLarge egg 1 no.All-purpose flour 2 cupBaking powder ½ tspSalt ½ tspChocolate chips 1 cupChocolate chip ice cream 6-8 scoopsChocolate sauce for toppingMethodIn a medium bowl, mix together butter and sugar until combined.Add vanilla and whipped eggs and combine well.Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and add to the above mixture.Add the chocolate chips and combine to spread the chips evenly.Press the prepared cookie dough mixture into the bottom of an 8 inch cast iron skillet.Pre heat the oven at 350-degree Fahrenheit (180 degree Celsius).Bake for 8-10 minutes in a pre-heated oven, check the sides to be light golden for the doneness of the cookie.Top with ice cream and then drizzle with chocolate sauce.Serve immediately while still warm and before the ice cream melts away.Note: You can swap the chocolate chip ice cream with your favourite ice cream and even the cookie of your choice. Personally, I like the macadamia nut cookie with strawberry cheese cake ice cream.