This is my favorite thing to make when it’s just me, the kids, and some really good movies we can really get lost in together — and they’re so fun to make for everyone. Even if we’re out of say, toffee, somebody’s always got an idea for how to substitute some candy, chocolate-covered peanuts, or raisins instead.
Kitchen Sink Cookies — The Name Doesn’t Do Them Justice
The reason Kitchen Sink Cookies taste so completely amazing is because they hit all the taste buds at once with a big shazam! You can tell the kids and I have been watching a lot of Marvel movies lately!
Although the origin of Kitchen Sink Cookies is somewhat obscure or has been lost to history I bet it went something like this. Picture yourself with your family after movie one has ended and you’re about to watch the big scary movie everyone’s been looking forward to and one kid says, “I want something salty,” and Dad’s like “No, let’s make cookies!” And Mom, being the smartest says, “I know what we can do! Let’s make cookies with everything in them but the kitchen sink–and she threw in all the snacks her family was craving so they could get on with the movie.
The Secret to Soft, Perfectly Cooked Kitchen Sink Cookies that Don’t Spread
Do you have a tendency to make cookies that spread across the pan? This could be from one of two things. First, you might be getting your batter too liquified by sugars, water, milk, or a watery butter like margarine that is whipped with water content in it. Thus, when it melts, it makes a more watery consistency than milk solids melted in real butter. This is why bakers keep real butter sticks on hand and just buy a box of the cheaper butter, making sure it has only two ingredients: Milk and salt. Or Just milk. Churned.
The other possibility is that your oven is too hot, causing the cookies to melt the butter before the dough of the cookie can rise and swell, absorbing the butter before it can cause spreading. Never try to rush the baking process by elevating heat. It will just ruin the cookies. And preheating is essential. Every time I used to rush through waiting for 425 for pizza, I burned it. Every time I rush through 425 and try to bake garlic bread at 390, guess what? I burn it!
Kitchen Sink Cookies are going to be bulky, but don’t be tempted to add more liquid. They’re going to be like really nutty cookies. When you put them on the pan, it might seem as if there is very little plain cookie dough showing. Don’t worry. With this cookie, that’s okay!!
Kitchen Sink Cookies: One Taste and You’re Hooked
So my new addiction to Kitchen Sink Cookies took me by surprise. You think it would take something like homemade danish with its 428 layers (isn’t it?) to impress me now. But think about the first time you tasted an iced pretzel. And in about four seconds you wanted another. Then a handful. These are very addictive savory-sweet, salty, crunchy, chewy, satisfying cookies!! For all those reasons!!
I thought I had a very cultivated, elevated palate. Until Kitchen Sink Cookies. I mean, I’ve tried or made a lot of different things, even goat. Sea urchins, candied ants, you name it. But these are amazing. If you like the taste of iced pretzels and kettle corn–sweet with savory and salty flavors–you’ll love these.
The secret to perfectly cooked cookies is shorten the cook time, always, by one to two minutes and get them right before they’re getting crisp and done. That way, that super-hot cookie sheet won’t take them over the edge into burned territory but will take them into perfectly cooked, tender, chewy territory.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 8 ounces Heath Bits O’Brickle English Toffee Pieces
- 1 cup Kraft Caramel Bits
- 1 heaping cup coarsely chopped salted pretzel sticks
- Flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
Prep time – 15 minutes
Cooking time – 15 minutes
Yields – 30 pieces
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugars. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, which should take about 4 minutes. Then, add the vanilla and eggs, beating for another 3 to 4 minutes on medium speed.
Step 2: Combine dry ingredients. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Gradually mix these dry ingredients into the butter mixture on low speed until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, toffee pieces, and caramel bits until they’re evenly distributed. Lastly, gently stir in the chopped pretzel sticks. Cover the dough and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best results.
Step 3: Prepare for baking. When you’re ready to bake, take the dough out of the refrigerator. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Step 4: Shape the cookies. Scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon-sized balls and place them at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. For an extra touch of goodness, press a few more chocolate chips, caramel bits, and pretzel pieces onto the top of each dough ball.
Step 5: Bake to perfection. Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden brown with soft centers. If you like, sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on top of each cookie right after baking. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
FAQs & Tips
To make these ahead, you can assemble cookie doughs that hold up well to refrigerating or freezing as long as you don’t include snacks like chips and pretzels in the dough. Add those right before cooking or they get positively yucky! You can freeze both cookie dough and made cookies as long as they’re not frosted cookies or the following cookies beginning with the letter “m”: marzipan, madeleines, and meringues. You can freeze baked macaroons but not macaroon dough. This is why you’ll find baked macaroons in the freezer section but not the dough! Also, you can store Kitchen Sink Cookies in an air-tight container for one week or baked and then frozen for up to three months.
Try new combinations: like dried cranberries, raisins, and walnuts and/or pecans, or try the addition of candies like chocolate-covered raisins, M & Ms, or chopped Heath bars.
These are great for kids parties. Premake the base cookie dough creaming butters with sugar then combining with the dry ingredients, and allow kids to choose from dishes of candies, chips, snacks, fruits, nuts, and seeds, creating their own dream cookies
Serving Suggestions
These are great served with my Seattle’s Best Iced Mocha Recipe or a yummy Delicious Vanilla Milkshake— kids especially love the latter, because the festive, colorful sprinkles are happy addition to this delicious shake.
Kitchen Sink Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 8 ounces Heath Bits O’Brickle English Toffee Pieces
- 1 cup Kraft Caramel Bits
- 1 heaping cup coarsely chopped salted pretzel sticks
- Flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugars. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, which should take about 4 minutes. Then, add the vanilla and eggs, beating for another 3 to 4 minutes on medium speed.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Gradually mix these dry ingredients into the butter mixture on low speed until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, toffee pieces, and caramel bits until they’re evenly distributed. Lastly, gently stir in the chopped pretzel sticks. Cover the dough and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best results.
- Prepare for baking. When you’re ready to bake, take the dough out of the refrigerator. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Shape the cookies. Scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon-sized balls and place them at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. For an extra touch of goodness, press a few more chocolate chips, caramel bits, and pretzel pieces onto the top of each dough ball.
- Bake to perfection. Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden brown with soft centers. If you like, sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on top of each cookie right after baking. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
