Chocolate Chunk Pretzel Cookies {Powernap}
This is the latest installment of my Powernap column. The series where I share quick, easy food that can be made for all kinds of situations. Powernaps are short and sweet, and so are these recipes. These are the things I make in a jiffy when I need a quick snack, am in the mood for a recipe experiment, or simply need to clean out the pantry.
I am never one to pass up the opportunity for a cookie recipe experiment. When I returned from Thailand earlier this month I discovered our sweet stash completely depleted. Turns out my husband was hungry when he was home alone for a week! I was in the mood for some simple chocolate chippers but wanted give them a little extra oomph. With a fresh bag of Scharffen Berger Chocolate Chunks and a handful of pretzels remaining in our snack jar I decided to make up a new, cool cookie variety.
I adore a little extra salt in my chocolate chip cookies so adding crushed pretzels seemed like a generally good idea. I whipped up a thick cookie dough to make a tougher cookie and added the chocolate chunks and pretzels I’d crushed with my hands to roughly match the same size as the chunks. Standing by my guaranteed cookie making technique, I made the dough during naptime (she was exhausted from readjusting to her school week!) and refrigerated it until after she went to bed. Despite my desire to sprinkle extra salt on the tops of the cookies I held off and am glad I did. The salty pretzels added just the right amount of salt and crunch to the finished cookies, anything extra would’ve been too much. I would say my husband and I conducted a highly scientific taste test of the cookies, but we didn’t. They were, however, gone within two days, which should tell you something.
Recipe
Chocolate Chunk Pretzel Cookies
makes about 2 ½ dozen
Ingredients
| 2 ½ | cups all-purpose flour |
| 1 | teaspoon kosher salt |
| ½ | teaspoon baking soda |
| 1 | cup light brown sugar |
| ¾ | cup granulated sugar |
| 2 | sticks unsalted butter |
| 1 | large egg |
| 2 | tablespoons water |
| 1 | tablespoon vanilla |
| 1 | bag semisweet chocolate chunks |
| 1 | cup crushed pretzels |
Instructions
1. Mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda until just combined. Set aside.
2. In an electric mixer beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Then add the egg, water, and vanilla and mix again. With the mixer on low pour in the flour mixture until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the chocolate chunks and crushed pretzels until just incorporated.
3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least four hours, or up to three days.
4. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with silicone or parchment paper. Scoop the dough into golf ball size balls onto the baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the centers are set. Cool on a wire rack and serve.
Naptime Notes
Naptime Recipe Serving ideas
These delicious cookies are meant to be quite small but you can bake them in slightly large sizes if you’d prefer.
Naptime Stopwatch
20 minutes for the dough, 10 minutes baking
Naptime Reviews
The extra salt and added texture was huge hit.
More Naptime Recipes
Love the pretzels in this! Must make. 🙂
I love this idea! And I know just what you mean about the uneasiness that sets in when you discover the cookies have all run out. 🙂
Oh yummo!!! I might have to do this this weekend! Thanks for sharing!!
Hi Kelsey
What is exactly a golf ball size cookie dough.
Hi! Roll the dough into pieces the size of a golf ball – about 1 1/2-inches round!
These were a huge hit in our house last night! I wasn’t sure, though, about how much to crush the pretzels. I thought that if I pulverized them too much, they might change the cookie’s texture – any tips? On the flip side, I know my toddler would love the opportunity to help me crush them (he didn’t get to this time, because he was napping!).
I don’t know if I should be happy or sad that I have all the ingredients to make these at home. Now all I need is for my daughter to take a nap.
I loved the idea and the nice finish of salt at the end of each bite, but on the whole they were too sweet for me. However, I used a 1″ cookie scoop, so got about 5 dozen which I packaged off to go to my husband’s office. I’m sure they’ll love them. Thanks for the great idea!
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