Who wants compost in their cookies? I do! I do!

So I've been totally in a snack mood lately, if you can't tell from my recent posts. Anything you can grab and go to run off into the sunshine. When I heard about Momofuku's Compost Cookies, I NEEDED to make them. Throw anything snack like in a baked good? I'm there.


The fact that I've never been to Momofuku probably makes me a bad New Yorker (a bad NY Baker to be exact), but I figured trying my hand at them would be an even better experience.


The Momofuku Milk Bar Compost Cookie
Recipe adapted from pastry chef Christina Tosi

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, softened)
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup (I actually left this out because I didn't have it, but my cookies came out fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs (at room temperature)
1 1/2 cups your favorite baking ingredients (chocolate chips, Raisenettes, Rollos, Cocoa Krispies)
1 1/2 cups your favorite snack foods, crushed (chips, pretzels, etc.)

Note: I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, crushed pretzels and crushed potato chips

1. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachement, or handheld mixer and a large bowl, cream softened butter, sugars and corn syrup on medium high until fluffy and pale yellow. Scrape down sides of bowl with a spatula.

3. Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix at low speed until fully incorporated.

4. Set the timer or watch the clock for 10 minutes. Increase mixing speed to medium high, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl 2-3 times during this ten minute mixing session. This will help the sugar granules to dissolve, and the mixture will almost double in size.

5. After 10 minutes, mix in dry ingredients on low speed in two parts. Scrape down sides of bowl after each part. Mix just until you can no longer see any remnants of dry ingredients; be very careful not to overmix.

6. Fold in baking ingredients, then fold in snack ingredients. I gave them a quick 15 second mix afterwards just to make sure they're all fully incorporated.

(I think there is a law that requires you to taste this cookie dough.)

7. Using a medium sized ice cream scoop, portion cookie dough onto a parchment lined sheet pan.

8. Wrap scooped cookie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. (This can be refrigerated for up to a week, but if you're doing it for more than one day I would gather the dough together and wrap it in plastic wrap in the fridge.)

DO NOT BAKE your cookies from room temperature or they will not hold their shape.

9. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Take plastic wrap off cookies and bake 9-11 minutes. I would suggest rotating the pan halfway during baking to ensure they bake evenly. While in the oven the cookies will puff, then crackle and spread. When done, the cookies will have brown edges and golden centers. If the centers still look pale and doughy, keep them in the oven for a few more minutes.

10. Cool the cookies for 20 minutes in pan on rack, then transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely before storing. I personally ate them as soon as they would not burn my mouth.

Keep in an airtight container for storage. These will keep for up to 5 days at room temperature.