Description
Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies are festive, chewy treats packed with a delightful combination of sweet and salty mix-ins including M&M's, white chocolate chips, pretzel pieces, and potato chip pieces. Perfectly soft in the center with a slight crisp on the edges, these cookies bring a fun, colorful twist to your holiday baking repertoire.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 3/4 cup salted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Mix-ins
- 1/2 cup red and green M&M's
- 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup pretzel pieces
- 1/3 cup potato chip pieces
- 2 tbsp red and green jimmies (sprinkles)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, combine softened salted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Using an electric mixer, cream them together for about two minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps create a tender cookie texture.
- Add Egg Yolks and Vanilla: Mix in the egg yolks and vanilla bean paste (or extract) on medium speed for two minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy, adding moisture and flavor to the dough.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix everything until just combined to avoid overworking the dough.
- Fold in Mix-ins: Gently fold in the M&M's, white chocolate chips, pretzel pieces, potato chip pieces, and jimmies with a spatula until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Scoop Dough: Using a cookie scoop or spoon, portion the dough into 20 balls and arrange them about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Add Optional Toppings: Optionally, press a few extra mix-ins on top of each dough ball to give your cookies a festive look similar to the pictures.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. For chewier centers, bake for 10 minutes; for crispier edges, bake for 12 minutes.
- Shape Cookies (Optional): While the cookies are still warm, use a large circular cookie cutter to gently swirl around each cookie to create a perfect round shape, which helps push the ingredients neatly together.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes to set, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely for about 10 minutes.
- Store Leftovers: Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Using room temperature egg yolks ensures better mixing and a softer cookie texture.
- The mix of salty pretzels and potato chips balances the sweetness and adds interesting texture.
- Adding extra mix-ins on top before baking is optional but enhances the festive look.
- Shaping cookies after baking is a neat trick to achieve perfectly round cookies, but it's not necessary.
- These cookies are best enjoyed within three days for optimal freshness.
