By Teri Cayton
The Parsons Advocate
It looks as if winter has settled into West Virginia for a time anyway, the ski resorts are absolutely loving it and with the cold weather, they can make snow round the clock. Momma Said, “Just the opposite of making hay while the sun shines but the same principal, work hard, play harder.”
The weather is calling for rain next week so I hope it stays cold enough in the mountains to keep their base and let them continue to make snow. We have had so many disappointing ski seasons lately, they really need a break. It doesn’t take long in a seasonal based business to lose respect with customers and they just go somewhere else. I know as well as they do that we can only do so much with what the weather hands us. Momma Said, “Or so the talking heads say!!!”
I don’t put anything past what can be done today and supposedly slipped by the American public. So many people walk around with their heads in the sand and just don’t care. As long as they have WiFi signal and internet in their homes and businesses, they just scroll past the serious stuff to watch cat videos.
We are becoming a society of nonchalant, disinterested puppets that don’t care what is happening around us until it affects our internet connected lives. How long has it been since you just simply looked up to gaze at the beautiful sky or look at the stars?
KITCHEN SINK COOKIES
INGREDIENTS
- ▢1 cup salted butter softened
- ▢1 cup light brown sugar
- ▢½ cup granulated sugar
- ▢2 large eggs
- ▢2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ▢2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ▢1 teaspoon baking soda
- ▢1 teaspoon salt
- ▢1 cup milk chocolate chips
- ▢1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ▢1 cup crushed pretzels
- ▢1 cup potato chips
- ▢4 graham crackers broken up
- ▢1 cup toffee bits
- ▢Flaky sea salt for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and the sugars until they are creamy and combined, about 2-3 minutes using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer.
Add in the vanilla and the eggs and beat again, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl until everything is evenly mixed together.
- Stir the flour, salt, and baking soda into the wet ingredients and mix just until they are incorporated. It is okay if a few streaks of flour remain since the dough will continue being mixed together while adding the mix-ins.
Add the milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, crushed
pretzels, potato chips, graham cracker pieces, and toffee bits into the flour mixture and stir just until evenly distributed.
- Using a medium size cookie scoop, scoop balls of cookie dough onto the cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Space them about 1 to 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and set around the edges. Top with the flaky sea salt. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.
NOTES
- Make Ahead: The cookie dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days if covered with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container. When you want to make cookies with it, simply let it come to room temperature, form it into balls, and bake, or shape the cookie dough into balls first before refrigerating and bake immediately when you are ready. You can also freeze the dough to bake much later. To do this, flash-freeze cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and store them in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. To bake from frozen, decrease the baking temp to 325°F and increase the baking time to 16-18 minutes.
- Storage: Store your cookies in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag, at room temperature for up to 7 days.
- Freezing: You can freeze baked cookies, once they have completely cooled, in a freezer-safe container or a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Put a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap between each layer of cookies to prevent them from sticking together.
- Yield: This recipe makes 18 generous sized cookies, 12 BIG cookies, or 24 small cookies.
