Compost Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp coarse salt
• 1 1/2 cups salty snack food (chips, crackers, pretzels, cereal, etc)
• 1 1/2 cups sweet snack food (candy bars, butterscotch chips, chocolate-covered whatever, etc)

Directions

Place the butter, sugars and corn syrup in a mixer, and beat with a paddle attachment until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides, and add the vanilla and eggs. Beat on low to incorporate, then raise the speed to medium-high and beat for a full 10 minutes. It will become paler in color and larger in volume.

While the mixture is beating, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Chop or crush or crumble your snack foods into little bits, and set aside.

When the butter mixture has been beaten for a full ten minutes, add the flour mixture and beat for a few seconds until just combined. Add the snack foods, and stir until combined. Cover the mixture, and chill at least an hour (and up to a few days – do not forgo the chilling, otherwise terrible meltage and nasty flat cookies will ensue). After chilling, scoop into 1/4 cup portions, place on a cookie sheet (or plate, if your fridge, like mine, doesn’t have space for a full sheet sheet), and chill another 1/2 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the shaped cookies on a greased or lined cookie sheet, and bake until they’ve browned on the edges, and are just beginning to brown on the tops (this takes less time than you’d think – only about 10 minutes for such large cookies). Let cool on the sheet for a few minutes, then move to a rack and cool completely.