Kitchen Sink Cookies
Have you ever had kitchen sink cookies? While the name may sound strange it’s actually just referring to the unlimited amount of mix-ins in these cookies. It essentially means they’ve got everything but the kitchen sink in them. What a strange expression right? Nonetheless, these cookies are GOOD.
Some ingredients you will typically see in kitchen sink cookies are chocolate chips, candy, pretzels, and even potato chips. They are the perfect balance of salty and sweet. In my kitchen sink cookies I chose to add milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chunks, pretzels, and chewy caramel candies. Top them off with some flaky sea salt and you have got a match made in heaven. I know Panera has a kitchen sink cookie that is pretty popular but I have to admit that I have never tried it, and now that I have made these I probably never will.
The dough:
The dough for my kitchen sink cookies is a typical base for a chocolate chip cookie. It is soft in the centers and golden and slightly crispy around the edges. Just how I like my cookies. Start by creaming room temperature butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar for about four minutes using a hand or stand mixer. We really want to incorporate a good amount of air into the mixture. Next, add an egg and an egg yolk and some good vanilla extract and mix again for another one to two minutes. In a separate bowl combine all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix on low just until combined.
The mix-ins:
Now for the fun part. Although I find my combination of chocolate, pretzels and caramel to be pretty damn perfect I encourage you to also have some fun with your mix-ins. These cookies would be awesome with M&M candies, nuts, and even potato chips. You can totally customize based on your preferences or even just based on what you already have in your pantry.
Baking kitchen sink cookies:
Possibly the best part about these cookies: no chill time for the dough. Preheat your oven while you are making the dough and stick them straight into the oven as soon as it is preheated. This batch makes 12-14 medium to large sized cookies. I used a ¼ cup measuring cup for each cookie. Top each dough ball with extra pieces of pretzel, chocolate chunks and caramel.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes. Because the caramel melts and can make the cookies a little wonky shaped, I always use a cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookies to shape them back into a round shape right when I take them out of the oven on the cookie sheet. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about five minutes and then move to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Store in an airtight container for up to two days. Enjoy! Let me know what kind of fun mix-ins you decide to use in the comments below.
For more cookie recipes check out my peanut butter M&M cookies here.
Kitchen Sink Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup chopped pretzels
- 3/4 cup soft caramel candies, chopped
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chunks
- 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
- flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Place oven rack in middle position.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, cream together room temperature butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed for about four minutes. Scrape down the bowl occasionally. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix for one to two minutes on medium speed.
- In a separate bowl combine the all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and mix together on the lowest speed until just combined.
- Chop pretzels into pieces. If using chewy caramel candy cut into bite sized pieces. Add chopped pretzels, caramel candies, chocolate chips and chunks to the dough. Mix on low speed to evenly disperse the mix-ins for about 15-20 seconds. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup or a large cookie/ice cream scoop to measure out dough. Roll into a ball in your hand and place extra candy, chocolate and pretzels on top of dough if desired.
- Bake cookie dough on parchment lined baking sheet at least two inches apart for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven. The center will be set and the edges just slightly golden brown when ready. Use a cookie cutter that is round and slightly larger than cookies to place around the cookies and gently rotate to make perfectly round if desired. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Enjoy!
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Best eaten within one to two days. The caramel is sticky in these cookies while melting so definitely use parchment paper to keep from sticking onto the baking sheet.
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