Sweet & Salty Kitchen Sink Cookies {Panera Copycat}

These are the best cookies I've made in awhile. Like...can't get enough of them. Which makes sense because they're modeled after another cookie I couldn't get out of my head: the kitchen sink cookies at Panera.

At one of our meetings with a bride, my boss and I had a couple kitchen sink cookies at Panera. And I knew I needed to recreate them. They were HUGE (like...bigger than these ones. For the first time in my life I struggled with making cookies big enough!) And had pretzels and little bits of caramel and chocolate chips and...of course...there was sea salt on top. So-pretty simple to recreate actually. I amped up the flavor an extra notch by using one of my favorite browned butter cookie bases, because--why wouldn't I?

I think my version might be even better. They're sturdy but chewy and full of so many fantastic textures-crunchy pretzels, gooey caramel, melty chocolate. They're so so good. Addictive to the max. They also freeze really well if you-like me-can't be trusted with an entire batch. I froze some and then just pulled out when I needed a special treat ;). 

They're also great for sharing with new friends to endear yourself to them-hence why I brought along some for my "girl-date" with my boss/friend, Val and our new friend, Evie. They both loved them. Of course!

Brown Sugar Lava Cookies-T-Sugars #BakeTheDifference

These might not be the prettiest things I've ever made but...haven't we learned that sometimes the tastiest foods are the ones with a bit more...character? Yes, I think we have. Sooo instead I ask that you focus on the moist brown sugar-y goodness of these cookies, and the melted chocolate centers, and the lovely powdered sugar dusted over them like snow.

Speaking of sugar...guys...I have GOT to tell you about T-Sugars! T-Sugars is a Belgian specialty sugar company that has been around for 175 years --!!! Guys...that is a LOT of sugar experience! AND they have just launched in the US which means all we have the opportunity to get our hands on the good stuff (currently you can find T-Sugars products at your nearest HEB store-or you can order online)!

Now...in case you were wondering what kind of sugar I'm specifically talking about...there are a few different products, but I am specifically talking about their Belgian Cassonade Sugar and Icing Sugar Mill, which T-Sugars were kind enough to send me to try!

That picture right there? That is showing off how revolutionary the Icing Sugar Mill is--seriously...I hate making a mess whenever I want to dust powdered sugar on top of a dessert and the Icing Sugar Mill (which has a sifter built right in, so all you have to do is twist) makes it so insanely easy and gives you an amazing amount of control, too. 

Now...what is Cassonade Sugar? It's like brown sugar...but BETTER. It has no additives, is all-natural, and is softer and has a finer texture than tradition brown sugar. The texture means it stays fresh longer (no more rock hard sugar!), doesn't clump up, AND it dissolves easily, so it can be used to sweeten beverages in addition to being FANTASTIC in baked goods (here are a ton of amazing recipe ideas!)

Which is exactly why I wanted to make a recipe that really lets the Cassonade Sugar shine and allowed me an opportunity to get decorative with the Icing Sugar Mill. These cookies are actually a brown butter, brown sugar blondie base (helpful note: Cassonade Sugar can be used as an exact substitute for brown sugar) with melted dark chocolate centers. They are chewy, rich, and full of that perfect sweet, caramelized brown sugar flavor--and the dark chocolate centers help offset that sweetness.

These cookies are good. T-Sugars are good. Facts.

Hazelnut Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Hihiiii! *waves* I know, it feels like it's been forever since you and I just chatted, huh? Having guest posters has been amazing (and there are more to come) but it's nice to just share my own recipe, with my own photos, and my own words...on my blog :) I missed you guys!

Things are going pretty well here, we're settling in (although maybe not AS quickly as I would like but, it's ok.) And we have been more social than we've ever been. So many family functions, hang outs with friends, dinners with family....it is amazing and surreal! It's also been super fun to be able to actually share some of my treats with my loved ones! :)

Not these cookies though. Nope. The only person who ate these was me (and my former landlord). These were the last thing that I baked in my old kitchen and it was a great end to an era. These cookies were complex, salty & sweet, sturdy yet chewy...mmm yes. They were good. My landlord was impressed too!

I used to be a strictly "no nuts in my baked goods" kind of gal, but I've been converted (somewhat. Still no nuts in brownies.) And hazelnuts are sort of my favorite right now (or pecans?) so yeah. These cookies are a win. Annnnd....that's all I've got to say about that.

It was nice talking to you all again :D I've got lots more good stuff coming, promise!

Browned Butter Peanut Butter Cup Crunch Cookies with Sea Salt

Moving day is very quickly approaching. It's like stress levels to the max over here! My apartment is a mess of boxes and I'm just trying to keep calm and be ready for the fact that in 1 week...I'm gonna pack up and ship on out.

Emotional preparations aside, I also need to try to keep the stuff we have to bring with us to a minimum, so I've needed to do some pantry cleaning. That, my friends, is how these big, beautiful cookies were born.

I've had half a bag of crushed Butterfingers hanging out in my freezer since I made these and these. And I still had a good amount of mini peanut butter cups from this cookie recipe I made a little over a month ago. And those had to go! So I thought...hey...let's make some cookies. And I'll use that delicious cookie base recipe from Baker by Nature that I used for that cookie recipe I just mentioned-it's perfect for mix-ins! And...guys...they COULD NOT have turned out better!!

These are essentially a browned butter chocolate chip cookie base but...it straddles the line between that and a peanut butter cookie. I added a couple tablespoons of peanut butter to the dough-just enough to highlight the flavors of the butterfingers and peanut butter cups, but to still let that yummy browned butter/brown sugar flavor shine through!

And they are BIG, sturdy, chewy, gooey, perfectly textured, perfectly delicious cookies. They'd be perfect to give or send someone as a gift. PLUS-they're pretttyyy, just look at those crackly tops! I DIE over crackly tops!

And the taste aghhhh! You bite in and you get the crunchy toffee-peanut butter flavor of the Butterfingers throughout, and these awesome chunks of a bigger chocolate peanut butter punch from the pb cups, and there's the complexity of the browned butter and that hint of peanut butter that lingers...and...of course...there's sea salt (I used some gorgeously large cyprus flakes). Sweet and salty allll the way!

Fun story: I had a giant cookie at a restaurant recently and all I could think the whole time I ate it was how much better it would've been with salt on top. I am an addict.

Brown Butter Cinnamon Coconut Cookies

Wanna know what I'm doing right now? Entertaining.
Michael's best friend/our high school junior English teacher (yes...his best friend is his former teacher), Scholl (or David...but I still can't call him by his first name :P) is visiting for a long weekend, and Michael is SO happy and excited! I'm pretty pleased too, Scholl is a really fun, super cool guy (and omg he has the cutest/smartest twin almost-4-year-old daughters)--apparently he is going to be cooking some Indian food for him and Michael while he's here, Michael is so spoiled!

Anyway, I made these cookies about a week ago, but we used our self control to make sure to keep some of these leftover long enough for Scholl to have some (he likes cinnamon and coconut in cookies so...you know...obviously).

Now, I know what you're thinking: "Kayle...there's no chocolate in these cookies"
I know.

But these cookies totally are amazing, even without chocolate! I was incredibly intrigued when I saw the recipe on Carla's, Chocolate Moosey, blog. She promised "These coconut cookies are crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle. The coconut flavor is subtle with a burst of cinnamon goodness. I couldn’t stop eating them...They are sturdy enough to handle the trip plus they stay moist even after a few days. I know a couple of chocolate haters that would flip over a box of these. Even chocoholics like myself can’t say no."

So I said to myself, "Alright...I believe you. Let's do this."

But you know...I had to mess with them just a little.

You've noticed I have an obsession with browned butter, and I recently realized (by reading Sally's Baking Addiction) that you can still use browned butter even if the recipe doesn't call for the butter to be melted. It seems to obvious, once you realize it: you can totally just chill the browned butter until it's solid or softened. Ha!

And then I was like...might as well toast up that coconut too, ya know? (Although I'm unsure if that really added anything to the flavor, you may just skip that step if you want).

The end result were thick, chewy yet crisp cookies that have all the complexity of browned butter and the warm comforting flavors of brown sugar and a healthy dose of cinnamon. And the ever so subtle, ever so lovely coconut. These cookies have it all: amazing texture AND amazing flavor! Michael took a bite and said "Ew. These are bad. You should give me all the cookies so you don't have to be subjected to their grossness"

I'm on to you boy.

Make em. For serious.

Brown Butter Chocolate Stuffed Toffee Chip Cookies

HOLY LORD YOU GUYS.

I NEED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THESE COOKIES.

AND TALKING ABOUT THESE COOKIES REQUIRES ALL CAPS!

BECAUSE THESE COOKIES ARE CRAZY,

INSANE,

DELICIOUS,

RICH,

SWEET,

COMPLEX,

AWESOME,

MAGICAL,

AND PRETTY MUCH BOMB.*

(do kids these days still say things are bomb? I know "da bomb" is dated but what about just "bomb"? *sigh* I'm getting old.)

Jessica, from one of my favorite blogs (How Sweet It Is), said in her post that these were the best cookies to ever come out of her kitchen: and I believe it. These are definitely some of the best cookies ever. Michael and I went crazy over them.

Their texture? Perfection-chewy and gooey and just crisp enough (fairly sturdy too, I'd say these would travel well).
Simplicity factor? Ridiculously easy-other than the browned butter you mix everything up in one bowl and don't even need a mixer, just a whisk and your lovely self.
The flavor? I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful. There's browned butter so...you know...obviously all nutty and buttery and complex and perfect-and the combination of browned butter and toffee is magic, like an extra caramelized sweet goodness. And a lovely center of chocolate. YOU STUFF THESE COOKIES WITH CHOCOLATE! WHAT THE WHAAAAT?! (sorry...I needed to use the caps lock again.)

These babies did NOT last long. 

At all.

Seriously, make a double batch. Do yourself a favor. You'll thank me later.