Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

1.Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9-inch pie dish or cake pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.

2.In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fittedwith paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and beat on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Mix in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

3.In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick. Add 1 and 1/4 cups chocolate chips and mix for about 5 seconds until evenly disbursed.

4.Press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden brown (could be up to 30 minutes, depending on your oven). You may want to cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil after 15 minutes to avoid heavy browning around the edges. Remove from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, use a sharp knife or metal spatula to loosen the sides of the cookie cake from the pan and transfer to a serving dish. (Or use can serve directly from the pan.)

5.The chocolate frosting is optional. Instead, decorate with whipped cream or top with vanilla ice cream. For the optional chocolate frosting: sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder to assure there are no lumps. Set aside. With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy - about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sifted sugar/cocoa powder alternately with the heavy cream and vanilla. Beat on low speed after each addition. Once all added, beat on high speed until creamy and combined for at least 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.

6.Decorate the cooled cookie cake with frosting and remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Depending how much frosting you use, you may have some leftover. I used a Wilton 1M tip. Cookie cake remains fresh covered tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days.