Sunday, November 01, 2009

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies 1

I've said before that I am very boring when it comes to cookies. I take the basic Nestle Toll House dough, decrease the sugar, and add in variations. In this case, leftover Halloween candy. I call these my everything but the kitchen sink cookies because it's a good time to clear out the pantry of leftover candy, nuts, dried fruit, and coconut flakes.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies
Adapted from the Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

For 3 dozen cookies, you'll need:
2 1/4 cups flour (Sometimes I do half white and half whole wheat flour if I'm feeling healthy.)
2 eggs
2 sticks or 1 cup butter, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup leftover Halloween or Christmas chocolate
1 cup oats

Optional: If you have extra nuts or dried cranberries or raisins, toss them all in. Just make sure to keep the extras to no more than about 2 cups total, chocolate and oatmeal included.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

I had tons of candy with just small bits of everything so I tossed in a few Aero bubbles from the stash of British treats that Oanh of Unique Schmuck sent me, chocolate-covered raisins from Xinjiang, China that my brother gave me, walnuts, old Christmas chocolate chips, toasted coconut flakes, Easter chocolate eggs, and Halloween leftovers. I should probably note that this photo was taken last year. Just so you don't think I keep around candy thaaat long.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies 2

Of course, the first thing to do is to chop up the bigger pieces of candy into smaller uniform pieces.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies 3

The butter must be softened at room temperature for ideal texture. Cream 2 sticks butter with 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 cup white sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Beat in 2 eggs, 1 egg at a time.

Add 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt and beat again. Add 1 cup of leftover chocolate candy, raisins, nuts, coconut flakes, and 1 cup oats and mix by hand with a wooden spoon. The oats make it that much healthier. ;)

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies 4

Spoon 2-inch balls onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies 5

I like my cookies soft and chewy, so I remove them from the oven when the centers are slightly undone. Use a spatula to remove the cookies onto a cooling rack.

Eat right away for soft and gooey chocolate cookies, or save for later when the cookies will be soft and chewy.

Enjoy!

My other cookie recipes:
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Chocolate Ginger Cookies So Easy Even a 2-year-old Can Make Them
Meyer Lemon Shortbread Bars
Shortbread Cookies with Brown Sugar
Shortbread Cookies with Lavender
Slightly Spiced (Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg) Molasses Cookies

*****
1 year ago today, Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cranberry/Pumpkin Butter/Walnut Filling and Maple Icing.
2 years ago today, my adventures in bread baking.
3 years ago today, I started crocheting a scarf that still isn't completed.

6 comments:

  1. Now you know this is going to appeal to a woman whose children grew up eating "garbage" pizza. I love your recipe. Waste not, want not :-)

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  2. I'm kind of scared of these cookies.

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  3. These cookies look quite interesting! I think I would like them other than the fact with the greenish/reddish candies which I do not know what they are at all. But cookies with all the chocolate candies and nuts? Yummy!

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  4. I love your name for these cookies! From the sounds of it, we've got enough of everything but the kitchen sink to throw into a batch ourselves ...! ~ Belle

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  5. That's really clever! colourful and great use of leftovers :)

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  6. Mary,
    Haha. Lanesplitter Pizza in Berkeley has a pie called "Garbage pizza" and it's pretty awesome.

    Weezer Monkey,
    Nothing scary. Just chocolate of various flavors.

    ETE,
    Holiday white chocolate chips. I said I was cleaning out the pantry. :P

    Muse in the Kitchen,
    Exactly! ;)

    Wiffy,
    Just trying to use up everything.

    ReplyDelete

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