Saturday Night Skillet!

I was inspired watching the Food Network this weekend by a skillet shortbread the Trisha Yearwood prepared on her show.  I decided to make it myself with a couple alterations...

Trisha made a skillet cookie with almond extract and slivered almonds on top.  That just seemed a little too classy (aka, boring) to me, plus I don't keep almond extract lying around. So instead, I added vanilla and a little cinnamon to the batter and then I topped it with almonds, dried cranberries and brown sugar. I think calling this a shortbread is a bit of a misnomer, but it is a really delightful sugar cookie, and the crust in the skillet gets really brown and crispy. I halved the recipe and had the perfect amount for a six-inch skillet and two nights of dessert (or, as it actually happened, 1 night of dessert and then slicing tiny slivers off for the next few hours until the whole thing was gone).

What you'll need for the full recipe:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla if you're lazy like me)
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds with skins

Pre-heat the oven to 350.  Mix the wet ingredients first (I used about half the sugar that was called for and found it perfectly sweet). Slowly add the flour and salt (sift if you'd like, though I was too lazy). Pour the batter into a greased cast iron skillet (I lined mine with foil because I hate dishes, then greased the foil).  Top with whatever you have on hand, dried fruit, coconut, chocolate chips, nuts, nutella, go crazy!  Bake for about 35 minutes.  Pretend that you're going to take this into work, but then eat it yourself.