Let’s talk trash. Not very appealing subject matter for a food blog is it? But here, Santa’s trash is another man’s treasure. More specifically, yours.
With the Winter Holidays fast approaching, I needed to start compiling the annual homemade cookie list. I like to include not only the tried-and-true favorites, but to introduce a new recipe or three. I asked the (now adult) kids what their “must haves” were, and one of them requested these Santa’s Christmas Trash Cookies.
Now the name is certainly NOT the most appetizing, but since it was requested, I felt they should definitely be part of the mix. And they seemed to have a quick turn-around time compared to my decorated sugar cookies, which literally take days.
Verdict? Trash never tasted so good! A sweet and salty cookie recipe is a perfect match and always has you coming back for more. Imagine biting into soft, chewy cookies smooshed with loads of mini white and chocolate chips, Reese cups, M&Ms, pretzels, peanuts, sea salt and festive sprinkles!
Seriously, you get the best of both worlds with epic sweet and salty yumminess in these holiday ‘junk food’ cookies! Be forewarned, they are addictive…
NOTES: Can add more potato or pretzels (up to ⅔ cup of each, if you wish for more saltiness). Feel free to modify any candies with whatever candies you prefer.
Santa's Christmas Trash Cookies
Ingredients
- 14 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda make sure it’s not expired
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ⅓ cup crushed potato chips; or cocktail peanuts, chopped
- ⅓ cup crushed pretzels
- ½ cup mini white chocolate Reese cups
- ½ cup mini chocolate reese cups
- ⅓ cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup M&M’s, red and green
- ⅓ cup white chocolate chips
- ¼ cup sprinkles of choice
- Sprinkles of flaky sea salt for tops of cookies
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350º and line two baking sheets with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt until combined, set aside.
- Using a mixer on, in a large bowl cream together butter and sugars for 1-3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy. Once the mixture turns pale yellow in color and has a light and fluffy texture, you’re done. Do not over-cream mixture.
- Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until together until combined. (Dough will be very thick.)
- Add in potato chips or peanuts, pretzels, M&M’s, Reese cups, chocolate chips, and sprinkles and fold in with spatula. (Using mixer would crush them.)
- Using a medium sized scoop, scoop onto parchment paper and slightly press them down onto baking sheets and sprinkle with sea salt. Add additional pretzels, chips, candies and sprinkles to tops of cookies for decorative touches. If you want the cookies thick, don’t press down as much, you can control how thick you want them. Sprinkle with some sea salt if you wish.Can also chill dough until ready to use, scoop the dough balls and store them in fridge until ready to bake.
- Bake until edges are just starting to get golden, 7 to 8 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
Adapted from a recipe by the bakingchocolatess.com
Accounting for Taste 