Cookies. Aaahh, cookies. Anyone who knows me should not be surprised that cookies are making an appearance on the blog so quickly. Because honestly, is there anything better than the smell of cookies in the oven, the gooeyness of the chocolate chips as you pull a freshly baked cookie apart?
And trust me, on a scale of one to amazing, these cookies are truly winners. They are soft and rich, with an extra depth of flavor coming from the browned butter, and a little bonus saltiness, crunch, and surprise coming from the pretzel pieces.
I made these fairly small, so that there would be a perfect ratio between crunchy outside and soft inside—and so that you can eat more than one without feeling too guilty! So bake a batch for your friends (that's what I did!), your co-workers, or just for yourself. Trust me, you will not regret it.
Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 18 small cookies, or 1 dozen larger ones
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cups crushed pretzels
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. I find that using parchment paper instead of cooking spray helps keep the cookies from spreading too much, but use what you have!
Brown the butter: Melt the butter in a saucepan set over medium heat. After it's completely melted, continue to cook, swirling the pan constantly until the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix browned butter and brown sugar until combined. Add in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix until smooth.
With mixer on low, add in flour, baking soda, and salt. Continue mixing on low speed until incorporated. Stir in the crushed pretzels and chocolate chips.
Scoop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, about 2 or 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool for as long as you can stand to keep your hands off of them, and then dig in!
Even though the instructions here are for a stand mixer, these are also easy cookies to make by hand, because the butter is melted, not creamed. Just use a whisk and a wooden spoon and it should work great!
Enjoy!
- maddie
Adapted from Cookies and Cups