sprinklefingers

perhaps i’m revealing too much when i tell you that i’m beside myself with excitement because - drum roll - the season premiere of gossip girl is tonight!

and while i’m pretty darn excited about the show - did chuck bass really get shot? who helped him get out of that dark alley in Prague? - i’m even more excited about the night itself. three of my favorite lady friends are coming over to watch…AND we’re eating dessert. chuck bass + friends + dessert = perfection.

in honor of the premiere of gossip girl i set about creating a new cookie specifically for the night. something delicious that cries out for a big glass of cold milk (or a bowl of vanilla ice cream drowned in hot fudge…your choice.)

toffee-pretzel-chocolate chip cookies
make 22-24 large cookies

you need:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup vanilla sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups salted pretzels, crushed
• 1 1/3 cups toffee bits (like heath)
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• grey sea salt for sprinkling

make the cookies:

1. whisk together the flours, baking soda and kosher salt.
2. in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and both sugars. mix on medium-high speed for 8 minutes. the mixture will be lightened in color and creamy thick.
3. add one egg. mix until it is completely incorporated.
4. add the next egg and the vanilla. mix again until completely incorporated and mixture does not look like it’s separated. (it will kind of regain it’s fluffy nature.)
5. add the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.
6. add the pretzels, toffee bits and chocolate chips. mix until incorporated.
7. scoop the dough out on to a wax paper-lined sheet tray using a 2 oz scoop or food disher.
8. sprinkle the tops of each cookie with a tiny bit of grey sea salt. trust me on this.
9. pop the sheet tray into the freezer or refrigerate the dough overnight. do not bake these cookies immediately after mixing. they need overnight to mellow & meld.
10. to bake refrigerated cookies: preheat oven to 350. bake cookies on a parchment lined sheet tray for 12-15 minutes or until golden around edges and set in the middle.
11. to bake frozen cookies: preheat oven to 350. bake cookies on a parchment lined sheet tray for 18-20 minutes or until golden around edges and set in the middle.

for longer freezer storage: after your dough balls have been in the freezer 24 hours, transfer them to freezer bags. label and bake within 3 months.

xoxo,
gossip girl.
sprinklefingers.

[tip: if you dish the dough out onto a sheet tray and plan to freeze it, flatten each ball of dough a bit with your palm. depending upon your oven and the temperature of your butter when it hits the oven, your cookies may not flatten out if you don’t do this. if you have a batch of cookies in the freezer that you didn’t palm-flatten, don’t worry! after they’ve been in the oven a while you can give them a little tap with a spatula and they’ll flatten right out.]