If you're like me, the holidays have left your cupboards with a hodge-podge of snacks and goodies that have been grazing material for the past weeks. I always get the urge to clean out all the cupboards in January, and there's no better way than with this recipe. The genius part of this recipe is that you don't have to use what's in my cupboards, you use whatever is in yours! My favorite secret ingredient, however, is a package of hot cocoa mix. It gives your cookies a subtle chocolate undertone that works as a great backdrop for whatever you pair with it. I can't wait for you to try them out.
Everything Cookies
1 cup butter (2 sticks) 1/4 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1 package hot cocoa (1.25 ounces) 2 eggs 2 tablespoons milk 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup oats 1 cup shredded coconut (optional) 1 cup crushed pretzels (optional) 1 cup crushed Oreo cookies (optional) 1 cup peanut butter chips (optional) Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter completely. In a medium bowl, stir flour, baking soda, and oats together. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix melted butter with sugars and hot cocoa until smooth. In a small bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla, and milk together, then add to the butter/sugar mixture. Slowly add in flour mixture, followed by all of the remaining ingredients. Place rounded tablespoons of dough on a prepared cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Remove to a cooling rack. HINT: Play around with the optional ingredients, using whatever you have on hand in the same quantities.