Does anyone else feel like January was at least 73 days long? I swear, New Year’s Eve was about six months ago. It was dark, cold, and somehow, payday took a decade to arrive. Now it’s finally February , and I have aged approximately three years. Needless to say, I am still in full comfort mode. February might be shorter, but it’s still cold. And you know what that means? It’s time to indulge in something warm, chocolatey, and topped with an unreasonable amount of ice cream.

Enter: the brownie skillet.

The first time I saw a brownie skillet, it was at one of those chain restaurants that shall remain nameless (mostly because I don’t remember which one). It arrived at the table sizzling, topped with a dollop of ice cream that was melting dramatically into the cracks, and my soul left my body for a second. But then, reality hit—this thing was tiny. Like, insultingly tiny. They called it “shareable,” but let’s be real, it was barely a Scooby snack. I could have eaten four by myself and still had room for fries.

And then, I discovered something magical: You can make one at home. In a full-sized skillet. Oh yes, my friends, no more sad, mini-brownie imposters. This is the real deal. It’s technically shareable, (and I know Ivy’s gonna be right there with her spoon, ready to dig in when I make this bad boy) but I won’t judge you if you decide that sharing is a social construct you’re simply not interested in today. And if you want to be super fancy and make this in a bunch of tiny skillets, you do you.

Homemade Brownie Skillet Recipe (AKA The Reason I’m Wearing Sweatpants)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened dutch process cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (because why not?)
• 1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate for garnish (optional-ish?)
• Ice cream for topping (optional, but let’s be honest, not really)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9- or 10-inch oven-safe skillet with butter or non-stick spray.
2. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Add cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, because the only thing better than a brownie is a brownie with surprise pockets of melty chocolate.
4. Pour the batter into your prepared skillet and spread it out evenly.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges look set but the center is still a little gooey. We are not making dry, cakey brownies here. We are making fudgy, life-changing brownies.
6. Remove from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes. This is a good time to sprinkle on the chopped dark chocolate chunks.  (Or don’t, I’m not the boss of you.)
7. Top with an absolutely absurd amount of ice cream, grab a spoon, and dig in. This is definitely best warm, but you can let it cool all the way too.

Pro Tips for Maximum Brownie Happiness:

• Want to get fancy? Add a sprinkle of sea salt on top. It makes you feel like a sophisticated adult while eating what is essentially molten chocolate cake.
• If you like nuts in your brownies, go ahead and toss in some chopped pecans or walnuts. Ivy and her brother are a no go on nuts but go for it if you love it.
• Feeling extra indulgent? Drizzle some caramel or hot fudge sauce on top. There are no rules in comfort mode.

And there you have it: the antidote to the longest month in existence. A giant, glorious, actually shareable brownie skillet. It’s February now, which means we survived. We earned this. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with a spoon and some ice cream.

Stay cozy and eat the brownie.