Typically, I share healthy recipes here, featuring whole ingredients that are in season, locally sourced and relatively good for you (in addition to being tasty, of course). This is not one of those healthy recipes. This cookie recipe has everything but the kitchen sink: chocolate chips, Reese’s pieces, butterscotch chips and pretzel bits. This awesome cookie recipe is like a build-your-own sundae bar with unlimited toppings: “Yes, please, some of that, and those, and this, and …”
This started out as my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. But it didn’t stop there. I thought, why not add pretzels for salt and crunch? Oh, and I had some leftover butterscotch chips from another recipe, and a small bag of Reese’s pieces. Into the mixing bowl you go!
You could add pretty much whatever mix-ins you’d like: chopped pecans, toffee bits, dark chocolate chunks, potato chips in place of the pretzels, M & Ms … well, you get the drill. You’ll want about 3 cups of mix-ins. These cookies are chock-full of goodies and barely held together with dough. Oh, and while you’re at it, make these cookies nice and big.
Grab a glass of milk.
Garbage Pail Cookies
makes 2 dozen cookies
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup broken pretzel sticks
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup Reese’s pieces (see Note)
Preheat oven to 375°; line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder to combine. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a large bowl and hand mixer), cream together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and powdered sugar until the mixture is very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue mixing on medium speed until the mixture is very light and fluffy, about 3 more minutes. Turn the mixer off; add the dry ingredients and then mix on low speed until well combined. Add the chocolate chips, pretzels, butterscotch chips and Reese’s pieces and mix on low speed just until combined.
Use two soup spoons to scoop out cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, 1 inch apart. If you’re feeling tidy, use slightly damp hands (to prevent sticking) to shape the clumps into rounds. Bake cookies for 6 minutes, rotate the cookie sheets in the oven, then bake another 5–6 minutes, until cookies are golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Note: You can add pretty much whatever mix-ins you want to this cookie recipe. You'll want a total of 3 cups of mix-ins. Think about: milk, dark or semisweet chocolate chips or chunks; butterscotch, coffee or cinnamon-flavored chips; potato chips or pretzels; pecans, walnuts or peanuts; M&Ms, Reese's pieces or toffee bits; dried cherries or cranberries.
