A few years ago, I had the idea to make one of our favorite desserts from a local restaurant at home. They definitely did not disappoint! These skillet cookies are something that we used to enjoy at a restaurant near us. That restaurant closed and although there are other locations, they aren’t close, so we don’t get to indulge as often as we’d like. Being able to make them at home is perfect and so much fun for date night!
The time between our kids’ bedtime and our bedtime provides the perfect opportunity for some mini-dates. We get to spend quiet time together. And if we’re intentional about it, we can connect just as much at home as we do when we escape for a date night out on the town. These mini-dates are some of my favorites! They can make any day feel a little extra special.
For more date night ideas like these ones, check out the book, Prioritizing Date Night in Your Marriage, with 300+ date night ideas.
Related: 6 Ideas for Connecting as a Couple After the Kids are in Bed
We like to use mini 3.5″ diameter-sized skillets to make personal cookies. But a 5″ or 6.5″ skillet would be a perfect size if you want to share! These are the ones we own.
You can use any type that you would like. We love basic cookie dough and will switch out the add-ins. For this date night, we had chocolate chunks but I like English toffee and Joe likes white chocolate macadamia nut.
We usually pick vanilla, vanilla bean, or French vanilla for our cookie skillets. But every so often, we’ll choose a flavor with add-ins that complement the cookie dough we’ve chosen.
The recipe for our favorite homemade hot fudge sauce is below. You could use any combination of sauces. We’ve also used caramel topping in the past.
Pick your favorites! I love using crushed chocolate English toffee pieces or crushed peanut butter cups. Really, any candy you like will work though.
To assemble your Cookie Skillet, start with the cookie dough. Press a cookie-sized ball of dough into the bottom of your skillet. Make sure that it reaches all edges and that the thickness of the dough is even across the entire skillet. You could use the back of a spoon or clean fingers for this step. I found that the back of a clean spoon worked the best for me.
Next, place your skillet(s) on a grill or in an oven that has been heated to 350° F. Allow your cookies to bake for five minutes. Check to see how done they are with a toothpick. You may choose to remove them from the grill at this point or let them cook a bit longer. This will depend on whether you prefer a more gooey or crunchy cookie. We’re ALL about the warm and gooey cookies in our marriage. If your cookies need extra time, let them cook for another five minutes.
Once the cookie has been baked the way you like, remove it keeping in mind that the skillet will be extremely hot! (I have these gadgets on my wishlist to make skillet removal less of a burn risk.) Let it cool for just a few minutes before you start adding your toppings. You will still want to eat the dessert while it’s fairly warm. But adding anything to the top of the cookie when it’s too hot will create a big, melted mess. A melty mess could taste really delicious, but we’re not a fan of the clean-up that it requires. We would rather spend our time together doing other things, so we avoid the mess as much as possible.
Top your cookie with a scoop of ice cream, drizzle homemade hot fudge sauce over the top, and finish it off with a sprinkle of your favorite crushed candy pieces if you choose. Now dig in and enjoy! I try to savor my cookie because it’s so good that I really miss it when it’s gone.
Savor your dessert and the time that you have to spend with each other! The beauty of a mini date is that it doesn’t have to last long. If you’re anything like us, we use our weekday evenings to do homework or catch up on work projects, after the kids are in bed. We still spend time together, but those are usually our top priorities at the end of the day. Enjoying a treat together and taking the time to connect and do something fun together, before we start working on those tasks has made a big difference in our marriage.
Related: 10 Ways to Connect with Your Spouse in 10 Minutes or Less
Joe and I like to eat our skillet cookies while we sit on our little deck, chat, and watch the sunset. Or inside while we’re curled up under a blanket watching our favorite binge show. You could watch a movie, work on a puzzle together, or even just sit and talk. These mini-dates are always a nice break in the middle of our week and give us an opportunity to reconnect as husband and wife.
