THE "PIZZOOKIE" redefined

THE "PIZZOOKIE" redefined

We were dinning out with friends the other night at a great restaurant, called Ayse, in Frederick Maryland... talking "food," as our friends started telling us about this dessert they make, called a 'PIZZOOKIE.'  According to Brigg and Melanie Bunker, it's the bomb!  "What is a 'PIZZOOKIE'" I asked?  Answer: Press your cookie dough into a pie dish and bake.  Be careful not to over bake, rather under bake it a bit.  Remove from oven and immediately place some big scoops of vanilla ice cream on top, and drizzle with a homemade hot fudge.  Directions:  "Dig in!" Well, I was hooked from the get-go.  Brigg and Melanie serve this as a big dessert to share among family and friends.  I love that idea!  However, we were having some people to dinner that I thought would appreciate their "own" individual desserts.  So I decided to bake the dough in jumbo cookies and make mini 'pizzookies' on individual plates.  The idea is...to bite into a fresh out of the oven, warm, soft, with the perfect amount of crunchiness cookie, with cold, smooth and creamy ice cream and topped off with a gooey, hot fudge sauce.  I'm here to tell you it can be done!  And deliciously, I might add!  It was a BIG hit with everyone!  Don't you love talking "food" with friends?  I used some favorite recipes from friends and family in this combination dessert. Thanks to Cynthia Owens for her amazing cookies and Stacy Johnson for her mom's awesome hot fudge sauce!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup milk chocolate chips

In bowl of electric mixer cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla, beat until fluffy.  Sift together dry ingredients.  Mix into butter mixture until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.  Bake at 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes.  Careful not to over bake.  These will look underdone when you remove them from the oven.  Place each cookie hot out of the oven on a dessert plate and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

1 gallon vanilla ice cream

*

Hot Fudge Sauce

1/2 cup butter

2 cups powdered sugar

2 cups milk chocolate chips

1 can evaporated milk.

Place all ingredients into a saucepan and boil for 8 minutes over LOW heat.  Stirring often. Drizzle Hot Fudge Sauce over ice cream and cookie.  Dig in!