compost cookies. not for the green bin.

I put Reese's Pieces in my popcorn at the movies. When I put honey on a bagel, salted butter goes on first. Not to mention my long standing love affair with the Max-5 chocolate bar until the day it was unceremoniously ripped from the candy store shelves.  So, dear reader, I ask you, if I wear two different colored socks because I just can't choose which one I'm in the mood to wear, how can I possibly be expected to exert decisive power over the age old question: Salty? Or sweet?

When I came across the recipe for Momofuku Milk Bar's Compost Cookie, I knew I had hit the motherload. A chewy, buttery cookie with and abundance of contradictory add-ins. Its where leftover snack foods find their final resting place. Those chips at the bottom of the bag? Toss 'em in! Half eaten bar discovered in the depths of your purse? In she goes!

The recipe was developed by Christina Tosi and the other chef's at NYC's Momofuku Milk Bar, as a way to use up all the leftovers lying around the kitchen. It's like when your mom took all the week's leftovers and created a 'magic casserole' for dinner on Saturday (well, not my mom, thank goodness!) - but, in a cookie. Mmmm... cookie....

So here it is - the dream-come-true dessert for those of us who refuse to choose.

Happy Composting!

The Compost Cookie
{adapted from Momofuku Milk Bar's famous recipe}

{the stuff}

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups sweet bits 

{I used milk chocolate chips, chopped up Skor bar, 

and next time definitely Glossette Raisins and maybe French Toast Crunch... (!)}

1 1/2 cups salty stuff 

{I used crushed pretzels, plain potato chips, and I hear Goldfish and Ritz crackers are great too!}

*for my next batch I will be adding oats, and perhaps the original recipe's used coffee grounds...

{how to do it}

First, cream butter, white sugar, and brown sugar.  The original recipe instructs you to use a stand mixer (which I may never afford!) so I used my food processor's dough blade. When the butter and sugars are fluffy and pale yellow, add the 2 eggs and vanilla and continue mixing for ten minutes. (Yeah, I thought this was excessive too. But, the mixture becomes super light and creamy and takes on a totally different consistency than after just 2 minutes, so I'm sticking to my instructions.)

While the mixer does its thing, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Next, add your sweet bits and salty stuff. When the butter-sugar mixture is ready fold it into the snack food mixture just until all the dry bits are incorporated.

Scoop the dough onto a parchement lined baking sheet, placing balls about 1 1/2 inches apart - these babies spread!

Bake at 400 degrees for 9-11 minutes.  Keep a close eye on them - once the edges look crispy they are done.

Take a bite.

x. {b}