Ultimate Brownie Skillet

Ultimate Brownie Skillet
1/2 cup oil of choice (canola, coconut, vegetable)
3/4 cup sugar of choice (granulated, coconut, brown, date)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (or less if you use salted caramel)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup flour of choice (all-purpose, whole wheat, oat, spelt)
2 large flax eggs (2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 1/3 cup water, let stand a few minutes)
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup chips of choice (semisweet, peanut butter, white chocolate)
Other optional add-ins (about 1/4 cup): chopped nuts, nutella, peanut butter, chopped chocolates or candies

Peanut butter caramel
Dark chocolate sauce
Maple caramel sauce
Ice cream of choice (vanilla, chocolate, non-dairy)

Preheat oven to 325◦F. Generously oil a ten inch cast iron skillet.
In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Add the cocoa, flour, and eggs, and mix all together. Then stir in the chips and add-ins.
This will not seem like very much batter, but spoon it into the prepared pan, then press it out with the palm of your hand so it forms a thin layer covering the entire bottom of the pan. Bake for 20 minutes until the edges seem a bit dry and firm. The brownie will still appear to be very soft.

Place the brownie on the stovetop, and let it sit for at least ten minutes. Carryover cooking will occur and the brownie will firm up a bit. If you don't mind a really ooey-gooey soft brownie that will not hold its shape in nice pieces when cut from the pan, and you don't mind burning your tongue, you can dig in straight away! If you want a brownie with more of a baked brownie texture and a piece you can actually slice, wait up to twenty minutes, the brownie will stay plenty warm. Don't leave the brownie in the pan much longer than forty minutes if you have any leftovers (leftovers, good one!), as the brownie will continue cooking and if you plan to reheat leftovers, it will overbake. 

Use a plastic or rubber or wooden utensil to cut pieces of the brownie and serve it - the brownie is very soft anyway, and a knife or metal utensil will scratch the pan. Serve the brownie with peanut butter caramel (recipe will follow), dark chocolate sauce (recipe will follow), maple caramel sauce (recipe will follow), and ice cream, or desired toppings.

I made this as part of my brother's Christmas present - at his request - and I really jazzed it up for him. He loved it! I began with a vegan brownie recipe, even subbing oil for the margarine because the only margarine I could find contains whey powder. Then I discovered the chocolate chips also contain milk ingredients. So everything else is vegan (the brownie batter without the add-ins, the peanut butter caramel, the chocolate sauce, and the maple caramel), but then I served it with vanilla ice cream for him since he isn't vegan.