Compost Cookies, Milk Bar Style

When I read about this wonderful cookie recipe, I just knew that I had to bake a batch of these (hopefully) delectable morsels!  I headed out to the grocery store to get the ingredients that I didn't have on hand in my pantry, i.e. graham cracker crumbs and powdered milk.  The cookies are a yummy blend of sweet and salty with a little surprise in most every bite.  On my To Do List today was to bake compost cookies!  I used a recipe that I adapted from the Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook.

I had a minor mishap when melting the butter in the microwave... my microwave door latch stuck and the door still won't open hours later (I wonder what will happen to the butter that is still there?!).  First thing tomorrow an appliance repairman will be called!  Or I may need a new microwave; we shall see.  Anyway, since the dishwasher had JUST at that moment completed its cycle and was still quite warm, I just put two more sticks of butter in a dish and set it in the microwave to melt!  Immediate problem solved.

I wish that you could smell these cookies that I just removed from the oven.  They taste as good as they smell and there's a surprise in every bite!  Feel free to experiment with the "compost" ingredients.  You can substitute Captain Crunch or Cocoa Crispies cereal, M&Ms, goldfish crackers, fritos, or whatever is in your pantry for the "sweet and salty" ingredients (pretzels, chocolate chips, etc.)

*Note:  that I've made this recipe several times now.  The first time I followed the original recipe and made rather large cookies but on subsequent times I rolled the dough into balls, flattened slightly with a fork and baked at 375 for ten minutes.  Both methods work well, but I prefer the smaller cookies.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

·  2 sticks butter, at room temperature 

·  1 cup granulated sugar(I used 1/2 cup Splenda baking blend)

·  2/3 cup tightly packed light brown sugar (I used 1/3 cup Splenda brown sugar)

·  2 Tablespoons light corn syrup

·  1 egg

·  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

·  1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

·  1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

·  1/4 teaspoon baking soda

·  1 teaspoon kosher salt 

·  3/4 cup mini chocolate chips 

·  1/2 cup mini butterscotch chips 

·  1/4 recipe Graham Crust mix (1/2 cup) (see directions below)

·  1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 

·  2 1/2 teaspoons ground coffee (not instant)

·  2 cups potato chips (I used Kettle Cooked Salt & Vinegar chips)

·  1 cup mini pretzels

·   

For the graham crust mix:

·  1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

·  1/4 cup milk powder

·  2 Tablespoons sugar (I used 1 Tablespoon Splenda)

·  3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

·  1/2 stick butter, melted

·  1/4 cup heavy cream 

 

Cooking Directions

For the graham crust mix:
Toss the graham crumbs, milk powder, sugar, and salt with your hands in a medium bowl to evenly distribute your dry ingredients.
Whisk the butter and heavy cream together. Add to the dry ingredients and toss again to evenly distribute. The butter will act as a glue, adhering to the dry ingredients and turning the mixture into a bunch of small clusters. The mixture should hold its shape if squeezed tightly in the palm of your hand. If it is not moist enough to do so, melt an additional 1 tablespoon or so of butter and mix it in.
Eat immediately, or deploy as directed in a recipe. The crust is easiest to mold just after mixing. Stored in an airtight container, graham crust will keep fresh for 1 week at room temperature or for 1 month in the fridge or freezer.

For the cookie:
Combine the butter, sugars, and corn syrup in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes. 

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. (Do not walk away from the machine during this step, or you will risk overmixing the dough.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Still on low speed, add the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, graham crust, oats, and coffee and mix just until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add the potato chips and pretzels and paddle, still on low speed, until just incorporated.  Be careful not to overmix or break too many of the pretzels or potato chips. You deserve a pat on the back if one of your cookies bakes off with a whole pretzel standing up in the center.

Using a 2.-ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1/3-cup measure), portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature— they will not bake properly.

Heat the oven to 375°F.
Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pans. Bake for about 15 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle, and spread. After 15 minutes, they should be very faintly browned on the edges yet still bright yellow in the center. Give them an extra minute or so if that's not the case.

Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or an airtight container for storage.
*Recipe adapted from Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook.