The majority of packages delivered on my doorstep over the past several months have been from Amazon, Lululemon, or puzzle stores (ones I hoped weren't fake pandemic pop-ups). But last week two unexpected surprise packages sent from friends living afar arrived. And by some seemingly odd coincidence they each contained the same thoughtful gift....a thousand piece puzzle. What were the chances, right? I initially wondered if they both took pleasure from reading my descent into puzzle madness posts (I frequently succumb to believing in a missing piece puzzle conspiracy). Or was knowing how much I love the challenge and distraction puzzles have provided to me in the new, ever evolving normal just indicative of their kindhearted, caring hearts. If I know them as well as they seem to know me, it was probably a little bit of both. It will be months from now, but I already know how I will express my gratitude to them. Yes, I will be violating all of the Emily Post thank you note timelines but I think they both might forgive me. Because if they know me as well as I think they do, they each probably have some idea of what form my thankfulness might take. No spoilers, but cookies might be involved.
Could my thank you include these Kitchen Sink cookies? Maybe or maybe not. I wouldn't want to spoil their surprises. And speaking of surprises, these cookies might best be described as a "surprise in every bite". Crispy on the edges, a little chewy in the center, they are made with dark chocolate chips, sweetened shredded coconut, oats, toasted pecans, and dried cherries. In other words, they have almost everything in them but the kitchen sink. Hence their name.
There are many different versions of Kitchen Sink cookie recipes. What goes into them varies greatly as some include a myriad of ingredients. You might find toffee chips, butterscotch chips, pretzels, and/or potato chips mixed in or swapped out for others. But you almost always will find (dark, semisweet or milk) chocolate chips, nuts, and oats in them. Created with the intention of cleaning out cupboards of bits and pieces of ingredients leftover from other baking endeavors, some of us now go out and intentionally buy what we need to make them.
Adding a chard or piece of chopped chocolate and a sprinkling of sea salt to the tops of these cookies is a part of their evolution. While both of these ingredients are optional finishing touches, how could a little more chocolate, a puddle of melted chocolate be a bad thing?
In addition to the flexibility of the ingredients used is the flexibility of their size. They can be made golf ball sized or Big Fat cookie sized.
Like some cookies, they benefit from a short (at least 2 hour) chilling time before going into the oven. However, unlike some other cookies, these are intended to be slightly under baked. Allowing the cookies to begin cooling on the baking pan will help them to achieve their crispy/chewy texture. As much as I loved these cookies, there will be a few things I might do differently in the future. Increasing the amount of chocolate chips, using only one egg instead of two, and increasing the amount of dried cherries. And instead of topping them with flaky sea salt, I might through in a half cup of chopped salty pretzels into the batter. Because the beauty of these cookies is that their possibilities are endless!
When you can't decide whether to make chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, coconut cookies, nutty cookies, or cookies with dried fruit, make these incredibly flavorful Kitchen Sink cookies. They are the cookies having a little something for everyone! And, if by chance you have a friend or two who happens to really like cookies, consider surprising them with a box of these cookies!
Recipe
Kitchen Sink Cookies
Makes 27-29 cookies
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups (305g) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (62g) old-fashioned oats
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup (135 g) granulated sugar
2/3 cup (135 g) light brown sugar (could use up to one cup/200g)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs, lightly beaten (for a crispier cookie use only 1 egg)
10 ounces (283g) dark, semisweet, or milk chocolate chips (See notes below)
3/4 cup (89g) pecan halves, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (50g) sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup (82g) dried cherries, coarsely chopped (cup increase to 3/4 cup or 103g)
Flaky Sea Salt
Optional: Chunks/shards of dark chocolate to top the cookies before baking
Directions
1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, coconut, and oats until combined. Set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine the chocolate chips, cherries, and pecans. Stir to blend. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar and light brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Scrape the bowl as needed.
4. Add in the vanilla, mix until blended.
5. Add in the chocolate chips/cherries/nuts mixture. Mix to fully incorporate (about 30 seconds).
6. Add in the dry ingredients int three additions. Mix until fully incorporated (about 60 seconds total).
7. Add in the eggs. Mix until the egg is blended in and the dough comes together. (about 30 seconds).
8. Create golf ball sized balls of dough using an ice cream scoop. Place on a baking sheet, lightly cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours or up to 4 hours.
9. Preheat oven to 365 degrees (F).
10. Place 9-10 balls of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving about two inches of space between the cookies. Lightly sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Press a dark chocolate shard or chunk into the cookie dough ball (if using).
11. Bake cookies for 13-15 minutes rotating the tray midway through the baking process. Cookies should be lightly golden along the edges but still slightly soft in the center. Do not over bake. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes.
12. Remove cookies from the baking sheet and place on a cooling rack.
13. Serve cookies warm or at room temperature. Store cookies in a sealed container. Or package up in cellophane bags and share with friends!
Notes: (1) Instead of dried cherries could use dried cranberries. (2) If not topping the cookies with some additional chocolate, increase the amount of chocolate chips used by another 2 to 4 ounces. (3) Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup for larger, bakery style cookies. Yield will be about 20 cookies and baking time will increase slightly. (4) Instead of topping with flaky sea salt, mix in a half cup of chopped salted pretzels into the batter.
Indiana Corn Fields, Lowell, Indiana (July 2020)
