How to Make an Emergency Cookie in Your Air Fryer

When it comes to chocolate chip cookies, I am an equal opportunity eater. Give me a hot mass of dough that’s been cooked just long enough to hold its shape, or a thin and crispy disk, and I will be more than happy. I even like those pale, cake-y things halfway between a cookie and a brownie. I will never fail, however, to order a skillet cookie — known as a “pizookie” in some establishments.

This genre of cookie is chewy and crispy, with a soft, doughy centre. You eat it with a spoon. It is perfect. You can make them at home by smashing dough into a small cast iron pan and baking it in the oven, but you can also make a smaller, ramekin-sized version in your air fryer.

This air fryer cookie requires six common ingredients and about two minutes of your time. It can be eaten urgently, in emergency situations, yet it does not taste rushed. It tastes a lot like a pizookie — soft in the middle and crisp on the top and sides. It draws heavily from this microwave recipe and this toaster oven recipe, and you should feel free to play around with it and make it your own. (A little more brown sugar, for instance, gives it a blondie vibe.)

To make this urgent, yet thoughtful cookie you will need:

• 1 tablespoon of butter (You can use salted or unsalted — it truly doesn’t matter.)
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 pinch of sea salt (Yes, even if you used salted butter)
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (I’ve also used self-rising to great results)
• 1 heaping tablespoon chocolate chips

If your butter is coming straight from the fridge, put it in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for about 10 seconds until it has fully softened. Add the sugar, vanilla, and salt and mix with a fork. Mix in the flour. The mixture will look crumbly but hold its shape when pressed together. Mix in the chocolate chips, then press into an un-greased 5- or 6-ounce ramekin and bake in a 180C air fryer for about 10 minutes, until the top is browned (but not burnt). Let cool for five minutes before eating, because it will be incredibly hot. Serve with ice cream for the full pizookie experience.