There’s a 99% chance that I’m dreaming about eating a slice of this cookie right now.
Jump to RecipeAs I write this, I’m getting ready to shut it down for a week.
And by this, I mean my phone, my computer, my kitchen….and also all the lights and obligations.
I’m headed to Paonia, Colorado for a week-long panchakarma retreat – a seasonal practice I’ve honored for the past several years and one that I look forward to deeply. I’ll be staying in a modern house on the Western Slope, in a little farmhouse tucked between blooming cherry trees and lilac bushes, and I’ll aim not to use artificial lights all week, not to look at a screen or consider an obligation.
I’ll be eating a very simple diet – kitchari, dal and rice but no alcohol, no coffee, no nightly chocolate nibbles. It sounds austere, and it is a bit…but all of my deepest cravings come out in this time in the most lovely and longing way. Lots of creative ideas, important thoughts and emotions too. And so, by the time I re-emerge, completely rebooted, with a digestive system running in tip-top shape and a reset circadian rhythm, I’ll REALLY be craving a slice of this cookie. (And, I know this more than a week out which is how you know this recipe is really a favorite!)
Especially for REALLY big bike rides…which is something I’ll also start craving in the week ahead.
This cookie is the fastest, most crowd-pleasing way I know to get cookies into my life because I needn’t spend time individually scooping or baking – you simply mix up the dough, pat it into a cast-iron skillet and let it rip. Cool completely for best results, and slice as you wish.
Why a sliceable cookie instead of an individual cookie for bike rides? Well, sturdiness factor for one. Chunkiness factor for two. There’s just something SO satisfying about eating this cookie on massive rides — I’m talking about the 60, 70, 80-mile climby rides we’re starting to get into here on the Front Range. But, you don’t need a big bike ride to bake this cookie.
It’s also optimal instead of a cake for birthday parties, as a whimsical dessert for your first dinner party out of pandemic, or because you and your kiddos want to bake cookies and cast-iron skillet cookies are really really fun to make for little hands.
YES. Trust. This umami, salty, savory addition with the bitter chocolate + the sweetness of the cookie dough is a whole new level of cookiedom. Of all the cast-iron skillet cookies I’ve baked, this one is hands down my favorite.
Last week, I mentioned that having a snack with at least 20% moisture content is a great strategy to ensure that your sport food is easy to digest…and this cookie can achieve that unlike an individual cookie because it’s baked in a stout slice that maintains the moisture of the dough.
On shorter, intense rides, trail runs or other high-zone activities however, I would be careful with this cookie. There’s a lot of fiber that can cause digestive distress if your body is needing to prioritize moving over digesting. No, this is a great cookie for a long day on the trail or in the saddle, nibble on it as you go and enjoy every bite.
And yes, a cookie is a great ride fuel because it contains all ingredients you can pronounce, that your body can use as fuel, and when you’re in motion your body is burning all the fats and carbohydrates that a cookie proudly stands for so you’re truly, and really, doing yourself a favor. (Note: it’s not recommended to sit on the couch and just eat cast-iron skillet cookies.)
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