KITCHEN SINK COOKIES
These are really good cookies—they check all the boxes. Sweet, salty, chewy, and a little crunchy thanks to the pretzels, chocolate chips, and caramel. What’s not to love?
I’ve been making them for years, and they’re always a crowd-pleaser. The best time to serve them is right after baking, when the caramel and chocolate are still just a little melty.
When I first started making these, I had to buy caramels, unwrap each one, and cut them into pieces—a sticky job! But in the last few years, I discovered handy little bags of caramel bits in the baking aisle (right near the chocolate chips). They make these cookies so much easier to prepare.
You really should give them a try. When I test a new cookie recipe, I usually make just half a batch to see if I like it. This recipe makes quite a few, so if you don’t need a large batch, feel free to cut it in half. But be warned—you might wish you’d made the whole thing!
These are very good cookies with lots of stuff in them. I have made these for years and years and they are always a crowd pleaser. Try them and see for yourself!
INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Unsalted Butter, browned
1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 ½ Cups Brown Sugar
½ Cup White Sugar
2 Eggs, room temperature
2 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
½ teaspoon Sea Salt
¾ Cups Broken Pretzel Sticks, more for top
1 ½ Cups Caramel Bits, more for tops
¾ Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, more to tops
DIRECTIONS:
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To brown the butter: In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, whisking as it melts, foams, bubbles, and eventually little brown bits form and it turns an amber color. Immediately pour the butter into a heatproof bowl and use a spatula to scrape all the little brown bits into the bowl.
Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the vanilla and sugars into the butter for a couple of minutes, until it lightens a bit. Beat in eggs for about 30 seconds.
Add the baking powder, salt, and about a ⅓ of the flour, mix, and add the last of the flour until just combined.
Stir in the pretzels, caramel bits and chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Make golf ball sized cookie balls and put 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets. Flatten slightly with your hand and spring a little chunky sea salt on top of the cookies along with more pretzel pieces, chocolate chips and carmel bits. This dresses the cookie up.
Bake for 10 to 13 minutes until golden around the edges. Remove and allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
