Diary of a Secret Housewife: Compost Cookies Redux

Of all the baked goods I make, the one recipe that I get asked to make again and again is Momofuku's compost cookies.  It never gets old, because I switch up the ingredients every time I make the recipe.  I also love making people guess the mystery ingredients in each batch (people always guess caramel or toffee, and are always surprised by the savory ingredients).

For a dinner party last weekend, I made extra large compost cookies with dark chocolate and white chocolate chunks, peanut butter cups, and potato chips.  Straight out of the oven, with peanut butter and chocolate melting everywhere, they were heavenly.  And worth a second post.

The mix of salt with sweet, crispy with chewy . . . it's like everything delicious rolled into one bite.  Christina Tosi is a genius, and I can't wait until the Milk Bar cookbook comes out.

Ingredients:

1 cup Butter
1 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Corn Syrup (like the Amateur Gourmet, I skipped the corn syrup because I didn't have any)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
1 3/4 cups AP Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 1/2 cups Your favorite baking ingredients! (I used chocolate chunks, white chocolate chunks, mini peanut butter cups)
1 1/2 cups Your favorite snack foods (I used classic Lays Potato Chips this time, but my favorite is Cheddar Goldfish)

Directions:

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars and corn syrup on medium high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and pale yellow in color. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.

On a lower speed, add eggs and vanilla to incorporate. Increase mixing speed to medium-high and start a timer for 10 minutes. During this time the sugar granules will fully dissolve, the mixture will become an almost pale white color and your creamed mixture will double in size.

When time is up, on a lower speed, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix 45-60 sec just until your dough comes together and all remnants of dry ingredients have incorporated. Do not walk away from your mixer during this time or you will risk over mixing the dough. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.

On same low speed, add in the hodgepodge of your favorite baking ingredients and mix for 30-45 sec until they evenly mix into the dough. Add in your favorite snack foods last, paddling again on low speed until they are just incorporated.

Using a 6oz ice cream scoop, portion cookie dough onto a parchment lined sheetpan.

Wrap scooped cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 1 week.

DO NOT BAKE your cookies from room temperature or they will not hold their shape.

Heat the conventional oven to 400F. (350F in a convection oven)

When the oven reads 400F, arrange your chilled cookie dough balls on a parchment or silpat-lined sheetpan a minimum of 4" apart in any direction.

Bake 9-11 min. While in the oven, the cookies will puff, crackle and spread.

At 9 min the cookies should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown towards the center. Leave the cookies in the oven for the additional minutes if these colors don't match up and your cookies stills seem pale and doughy on the surface.