Kitchen Sink Cookies

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Light-colored saucepan for browning butter
• •Large mixing bowl
• •Rubber spatula
• •Large cookie scoop (3 tablespoon capacity)
• •Rimmed baking sheets
• •Parchment paper
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the butter

   Cut the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces and place in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. The light color matters because you need to see the milk solids change. Swirl occasionally as the butter melts, foams, and then quiets. Watch the bottom of the pan. You'll see golden flecks forming and smell something distinctly nutty, almost like hazelnuts. This takes 5 to 7 minutes. The moment those flecks turn amber and the foam subsides, pull it from the heat. Pour immediately into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking. You want brown butter, not black.

   If you're nervous about burning the butter, pull it slightly early. It will continue cooking in the residual heat.
2. 2

   Combine sugars and butter

   Add both sugars to the warm brown butter and whisk vigorously until combined. The mixture should look like wet sand. Let it cool for 10 minutes. You want it warm enough to stay pourable but not so hot that it scrambles your eggs. Touch the side of the bowl. If it's comfortable to hold, you're ready.

3. 3

   Add eggs and vanilla

   Whisk in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. The mixture will turn glossy and slightly lighter in color. Add the vanilla and whisk until everything looks smooth and emulsified. This takes about a minute of active whisking. Your arm should feel it.

4. 4

   Mix the dry ingredients

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. This takes thirty seconds but distributes the leavening evenly. Skip this step and you risk pockets of baking soda that taste metallic and unpleasant.

5. 5

   Combine wet and dry

   Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until just combined. You'll see streaks of flour at first. Keep folding gently until the dough comes together and no dry pockets remain. Don't overmix. The moment it looks uniform, stop.

6. 6

   Add the chaos

   Now the fun part. Add the crushed pretzels, potato chips, both chocolates, peanuts, and candy-coated chocolates. Fold everything together with the spatula, scraping from the bottom of the bowl to distribute the mix-ins throughout. The dough will look absurdly studded with ingredients. This is correct. Every bite should contain multitudes.

   Crush pretzels and chips inside their bags using the bottom of a measuring cup. Keeps the mess contained and gives you varied piece sizes.
7. 7

   Chill the dough

   Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. This rest is not optional. Cold dough spreads less in the oven, giving you thick cookies with chewy centers. The flavors also develop and meld during this time. Patient cooks are rewarded.

   For even better results, chill for 24 to 36 hours. The difference is noticeable.
8. 8

   Portion the dough

   Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a large cookie scoop or your hands, portion the dough into balls about 3 tablespoons each—roughly the size of a golf ball. Place them 3 inches apart on the prepared sheets. These cookies spread. Press a few extra chocolate chunks and candy pieces into the tops of each ball so they're visible after baking. This is purely aesthetic but it matters.

9. 9

   Bake the cookies

   Heat your oven to 375°F with a rack in the center position. Bake one sheet at a time for 12 to 14 minutes. The edges will turn golden brown while the centers still look slightly underdone and puffy. They'll set as they cool. Remove from the oven when you think they need just one more minute. That's the moment. Immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt while the chocolate is still melty.

10. 10

    Cool and serve

    Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. This allows the interiors to finish setting without carryover cooking making them tough. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, or eat them warm if you lack self-control. I won't judge. The texture is extraordinary either way—crisp edges, chewy centers, pools of chocolate, salty bursts from the pretzels and chips.

Chef Tips

• •The mix-in ratios I've given are suggestions, not commandments. Keep your total add-ins around 2 to 2 1/2 cups and maintain balance between salty, sweet, and crunchy components. Swap peanuts for pecans, add toffee bits, throw in some cornflakes. The base dough can handle whatever your pantry provides.
• •Use kettle-cooked chips, not standard thin ones. They hold their crunch better during baking and provide more substantial texture. Ruffled chips also work well.
• •For uniform cookies that bake evenly, weigh your dough portions. Each ball should be about 60 grams. A kitchen scale costs fifteen dollars and improves every baking project you'll ever attempt.
• •These cookies pair surprisingly well with a cold glass of milk stout. The roasted malt notes echo the brown butter while the carbonation cuts through the richness.

Advance Preparation

• •Dough keeps refrigerated for up to 5 days, improving in flavor as it rests.
• •Portioned dough balls can be frozen on a sheet pan, then transferred to a freezer bag. They keep for 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the baking time.
• •Baked cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days. Add a slice of bread to the container to keep them soft.
• •For gifting, individually wrap cooled cookies in plastic wrap and pack in a decorative tin. They travel beautifully.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 62g)