Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie w/ Fudge Frosting

If you’re supposed to make lemonade when life gives you lemons, then what are you supposed to make when life gives you fudge frosting? I was wondering this last week as I stared down a mound of fudge frosting in my freezer that I had lefotver from making my friend’s birthday cake. I certainly wasn’t going to throw all that out. I mean, that was some incredible, fudgy, decadent frosting. I would eat it by the spoonful like ice cream if I had to. If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that I never let good food go to waste.

After careful consideration, I dreamed up something truly delicious to do with that residual frosting. I’m talking something even better than taking an over-sized spoon and going to town. We’re going to use the fudgetastic stuff to cover a Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie. You heard it right; a gargantuan cookie packed with enough chocolate chunks to kill you and send you straight to heaven, then slathered in rich, smooth fudge frosting. Somebody hold me down; I can’t resist this much goodness!

I used what I consider to be the best chocolate chip cookie recipe in the world and essentially baked it up in a pie pan as one big cookie. The result was the most perfectly cooked slice of cookie to ever grace my mouth, with a texture so chewy and wonderful that I barely needed to chew. It was exactly the consistency I dream of cookies having. Plus, it baked up good and thick, giving you one substantial slice of soft and chewy chocolatey goodness to sink your chompers into. Top it off with that super satiny fudge frosting, and you’ve got cookieuphoria.

Guess who has a new favorite dessert? This girl!

If my opinion isn’t enough, ask my co-workers. They devoured it, very much appreciating the chocolate-to-cookie ratio and happily commenting on how the frosting was both rich yet light. There was not a crumb left when I came in the next day. If you even remotely enjoy cookies, then you will go coo-coo for this over-sized treat.

A perfectly thick, chewy, and gooey slice of cookie pie buried in frosting? It doesn’t get any better than this.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

1. You could also do a nice vanilla buttercream on this. I happen to have the perfect recipe right here!
2. Top with rainbow sprinkles to make this cookie pie even more fun.
3. Don’t overbake! If you think it’s done, pull it. Overbaking leads to a less chewy cookie.
4. You can use all dark or all milk chocolate depending on what you like. I happen to love the mix of semi-sweet and milk.
5. You gotta use chocolate chunks in this. Chips just don’t cut it!
6. This would still be awesome without the frosting.
7. You will probably have leftover frosting. If you don’t have an immediate use for it, you can keep it fresh by storing it in an air-tight container in the freezer for several months.

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie with Fudge Frosting

Ingredients

For the cookie:
Cookie recipe adapted from Baking Illustrated

• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 4.4-oz. milk chocolate bar, chopped into chunks (equals about 1 cup of chunks)
• 1/2 cup additional semisweet chocolate chips

For the frosting:
Frosting recipe adapted from Epicurious

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup half and half or cream
• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

2. With an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended and fluffy. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients while beating at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips and chunks. Cover and chill the dough in the fridge for at least an hour before continuing.

3.Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put the dough into an 8×8 pie dish and use your hands to spread out in an even layer that fills the dish. Do not shape to the pan like a crust; this is a cookie! Cover the edges of the pan with strips of aluminum foil to ensure the edges don’t overcook. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until cookie is set and has a crackled top, removing the foil for the last 10 minutes. The edges should be just barely beginning to turn golden, and a tooth pick inserted in the center should come out with crumbs, but not goo. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

4. Meanwhile, make the frosting. Combine butter, 3/4 cup sugar,  and the half and half in a large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture simmers. Remove from heat. Add both chocolates; whisk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla. Pour chocolate mixture into large bowl. Sift in powdered sugar; whisk to blend. Press plastic onto surface of frosting. Chill just until firm enough to spread, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Don’t over chill, or you won’t be able to spread it!

5. Spread a generous amount of frosting onto cooled cookie. Slice and serve! Store leftovers in an air-tight container. If you have leftover frosting, you can freeze it.