These cookies are inspired by Milk Bar’s Compost cookies. I absolutely love and have so much respect for Christina Tosi, owner/chef of Milk Bar. She is an amazing, once in a lifetime pastry chef with off the wall, once in a lifetime ideas.
I mean who would think to start a bakery and ice cream shop based around cereal milk! Anyway, as you can see, I geek out on her and her recipes. So, anytime I can take inspiration from her recipes, I do!!
Why kitchen sink cookies?
I call these kitchen sink cookies versus compost cookies for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, I did not come up with the recipe for compost cookies. Milk Bar did. So, I did not want to completely copy their cookie or just do a copy cat.
Secondly, I used more ingredients in mine and it literally is everything but the kitchen sink in these. Mostly because my two little helpers have different tastes and want different items in the cookies. Yet, that ended up being totally fine because it all worked!
So, I wanted to represent my own version of these delicious cookies.
What all is in these cookies?
Well, they are literally like their name. They have everything but the kitchen sink.
Potato Chips-
When I am using potato chips in cookies, I always make sure they are extra crunchy and salty. So, not low salt and no Pringles types of chips. Kettle chips or classic Lay’s potato chips work the best. They hold up and the saltiness is perfect with the sweetness.
Pretzels-
I like the little pretzels for these. They are easier for the girls to break up and they make a cute garnish on the top. Again, you do not want soft pretzels or unsalted. You want the regular, salted pretzels. Any size is fine, but I prefer the little ones.
Oats-
Liliana says these cookies are healthy because they have oats!! I love the logic and so I am sticking to it!
I like quick cooking or old fashioned Quaker oats here. You do not want anything too hearty and nothing that will not break down in the cookie.
Chocolate and Butterscotch chips-
This is actually perfect because Lil loves chocolate chips and Gabi is in love with the butterscotch chips. So, we love this combo in a love of things, but especially in these sweet and salty cookies.
I like to use dark chocolate chunks versus the semi sweet chocolate chips in the original compost cookie recipe. I think it adds a little less sweetness and a more rich flavor.
Espresso powder-
I use instant espresso powder here instead of coffee as the compost cookies call for. I love instant espresso powder in baked goods and especially in these cookies. Along with the dark chocolate and butterscotch; it is the perfect bitterness that you need here.
M&M’s-
This is the girls doing right here. They begged me to add M&M’s in here. As if there were not already enough ingredients. Yet, I am glad that we did, because the candy coating on the outside and creamy chocolate on the inside is an awesome addition to these cookies.
Plus, let’s face it, what kid,(and adult) doesn’t love an M&M in their cookie!?!
Chef’s Tips
In these cookies, along with many others now. I add milk powder. A tip I also learned from chef Christina Tosi. Although, she does not add it in these cookies, I do. I love it in here.
Also, make sure that you really cream the butter and sugars together for a bit longer than normal. These are fatty, flatter cookies that usual cookies. They really spread and get crunchy on the outside. This is what should happen. Creaming them a little longer helps with that.
Also, I like to scoop them and freeze them for a bit before baking them. If you have time you can refrigerate them for about 2 hrs before baking. Yet, I never have time, so I throw them in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes and then into the oven.
Last tip, I love making cookie dough ahead of time and popping in a few when we want cookies. Especially if you kids are anything like mine and only want 1 or 2 when we bake them and then I am stuck to eat the other 24 on my own!!
It is super simple to scoop them, freeze them and then once frozen bag the dough up. Then when you want cookies, pull out however many cookies you want and bake them off. Also, great to have on hand in case company comes unexpectedly.
Kitchen Sink Cookies
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- 16 tbsp unsalted room temp butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups All purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp milk powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chunks
- 3/4 cup butterscotch chips
- 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 2 cups potato chips preferably kettle chips
- 1 cup mini pretzels
- 1 cup M&M's
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the butter, sugars and corn syrup in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Cream the mixture together on high for 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides and add the egg and vanilla. Beat again for another 6-8 minutes.
- Reduce the speed of the mixer and the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Just until the dough is combined, do not over mix this part. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- On low speed, add in the chocolate, butterscotch, oats and espresso powder. Mix only until combined. About 30-45 seconds.
- Add in the chips, pretzels and M&M's and mix again on low for another 30-45 seconds. Just until combined, but not crushed up too much.
- Scoop your cookies with a cookie scoop or for large cookies use an ice cream scoop. Portion them onto a sheet tray and refrigerate for an hour or up to one week. Or you can quick freeze the dough for about 20-30 minutes and then bake off. You can also freeze the dough and then package in bags and keep the dough on hand for 3 months in the freezer.
- Bake the chilled dough for about 18 minutes,(if large cookies). The cookies will spread, so do not put them too close together. These cookies will get lightly dark on the outside and still be a bit yellow in the center. Add about 1 more minute after you see that. Then remove and cool them on the sheet pans. You can keep them for up to about 5 days in an air tight container or freeze them once baked as well. They will be good baked for up to 1 month. If it is anything like our house, they will only last a day! ENJOY!
