Pizzookie!

This is not really a revolutionary recipe - but it's fantastic curl-up-on-the-couch-on-Friday-night dessert. I have a dirty little secret - I love New Zealand's Next Top Model. I think it's a bit ridiculous but I am completely addicted and somehow the best thing to do while watching skinny teenagers getting stressed out over photo shoots is nibbling on something completely unhealthy.At least I'm not starving myself, right? ;-)

Pizzookie is not really a word, though at least I didn't make it up myself! Basically this is a cookie cooked in a dish with sides, and taken out of the oven once it has a crispy edge but before it gets to being cooked through. It's the best of both worlds - the gooey cookie dough centre, with melty chocolate chips, but the cripy shell. So push past the ridiculous name (or call it something else if you can't do that), because it tastes awesome.

This is a seriously decadent treat - I couldn't get through my piece. I really think vanilla ice-cream is pretty much an essential with this - though I had a little cream with mine, as it was languishing in the fridge. This milk ice cream would be perfect, since it's not rich and would offset the buttery cookie goodness really well. Luckily we have nice neighbours that we can give half a pizzookie to of a Friday evening - that helps too! ;-)

I made a full batch of cookie dough, as it freezes well and it's nice sometimes to be able to do some 'baking' with zero effort. ;-) So half of it went in the freezer. I used up some of my failed first batch of caramelised white chocolate, along with some white chocolate bits. Both Mr Cake and I prefer these cookies (which are very sweet) with dark or bittersweet chocolate in them, as it balances out the sweetness a bit more - but the caramelised white chocolate is pretty good, even the failed stuff.

You can use pretty much any baking receptacle you like - I chose to make a big pizzookie, in a pie/tart dish. If you had smaller containers that were suitable you could make individual ones and serve them in the dish you bake them in.

You can also use your favourite cookie recipe if you prefer - so long as you take it out before it's cooked through, that's the pizzookie rule!

If you do choose to make a big one be warned - it's pretty hard to cut and keep slices intact; it is gooey half-cooked cookie, after all. I managed to get a piece out mostly intact but it required a bit of juggling to transport it to the plate. Worth the effort, though!

Do you have a favourite Friday night in recipe? And are you judging me for watching New Zealand's Next Top Model? ;-)

Pizzookie (or Chocolate Chip Cookies)
Ingredients
180g butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups + 2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 160 C. Melt the butter then beat together with sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Mix together the dry ingredients then beat with butter until just combined. Mix in chocolate chips. Press into pie tins or smaller baking dishes, and bake until crisp on the outside but soft in the middle (my pie-sized one took about 15 minutes). Serve hot with vanilla ice cream and a spoon!