This week's cookie would have made the Cookie Monster positively jocular. Rich and chocolaty, and brimming with seductive add-ins, they might even put Oscar the Grouch in a good mood. 
Having just made a chocolaty chocolate cookie last week, I was ready to take things for a different twist. A salty and crunchy twist, using pretzels and salty potato chips as my add ins. I've added pretzels to cookies before, and they've always lost their appealing crunch in the oven. This time, I added an extra step of coating the pretzels with cooking spray and toasting them in the oven (350 for 15 minutes) to a heightened crisp-which they maintained even in the baked cookies. 
Soggy pretzel problem solved. The potato chips and pretzels in this little winner play on the blissful marriage of sweet meets salty. If you like chocolate dipped pretzels, Take five bars, Reese's peanut butter cups, or even salted caramel, then you'll love this cookie. Even if you don't, I'll bet you love it anyway. Unlike Granola Grabbers or even Malted Whopper cookies, this is a very rich, take-just-one kind of cookie. Unless of course, you're like me or the Cookie Monster, in which case, too many cookies is only just enough. 
Click here for the real recipe. For my fellow penny-pinchers, the estimated cost for two dozen is $5.00. Money Saving tips: Use up the bottom of the bag potato chip crumbs, and revive stale pretzels as you roast them in the oven. 
Coming Tomorrow:
Coming Tomorrow:
Whole Wheat Pizza Crust with Layers of Summer Squash and Garlic Olive Oil
Stay Tuned for a sneaky give away this week.....
74 comments:
Oh, I do love your version of this fabulous cookie Erin! I am so there. They sound and look wonderful!
Wow, I love your idea of using preztels and potato chips! They look delicious. These cookies are so rich, aren't they? I couldn't even manage more than one at a time (and that's amazing coming from me, a die-hard cookie lover!)
Your picture of the cookie monster really put a smile on my face. I love him! I made a cookie monster cake for my son's birthday recently. :)
Using pretzels in the chunkers... How do you come up with that? They look absolutely divine!
i'll never forget the first time i had a chocolate-salty pretzel combination--i was at the movies and ended up eating an entire bag of chocolate-covered pretzel bites. good stuff, great cookies. :)
Oh, you know how I love chocolate and salt and these look so wonderful. I want one! ;-)
Holy crap, that's brilliant! I had a co-worker that ALWAYS had to have something sweet when she ate salty foods, and vice versa. We once had a pie party to celebrate Pie Day (seriously) and she had to buy a bag of pretzels and chips to go along with her pie! She would love this. I'll pass it along to her.
I'm trying to catch up, sweets are my favorites, I could go for this real fast. I ate my whole box of PB Whoppers and had to buy some more. I'm really not opening them until I get last weeks cookie made, no really, I promise! Happy Tuesday!
I'm jealous! You always come up with the best variations!
You always come up with the most creative add-ins! Thanks for that really good pretzel tip. Your cookies look really yummy and remind me of halloween for some reason.. hmm...
Your idea of using pretzels is genius. Salty and sweet is one of my favorites. Your pictures are fantastic. I want these for breakfast now!
What a great idea. I love pretzels, I am definitely a salt person.
Your cookies look decadent and fun.
I LOVE Take Five bars, so your cookies are right up my alley. They look delicious!
Pretzels....what a fabulous idea.
They look wonderful.
What a great idea! You are so consistently clever!! I adore chocolate covered pretzels and have even sampled some chocolate covered potato chips, which were DEEE-licious. I like your version very much. Salt and chocolate is such a great combo.
My husband would love these. He's a big fan of the sweet/salty combo. In fact, after eating one of my cookies, he commented that he needed something salty to balance it out. =)
Brilliant, yet again! I just love the idea of using pretzels in these. Okay, now I've got to make these at least 5 more times(not that this will be a problem, mind you - I'm in love with these cookies) because of all the mix in options I've discovered today.
OH. MY. Pretzels. That's genius.
Great take on this cookie! I added salted peanuts and the dust that collects on the bottom of the jar and the saltiness tasted great in these. I might have to make these again in a few months with your add-ins (I am almost cookied out.
They sound and look yummy.
I love sweet and salty. I MUST make these!!!
Pretzels! What a grand idea. I love the salty combo!! Your cookies look terrific!
Pretzels! It's genius, I love it! (and by the way, I love your blog--the style/music/etc! Consider yourself, "bookmarked"!)
Cookie Monster would LOVE these! But he would have to tackle me first!
What a divine idea! Chocolate with pretzels. and potato chips.. how wonderful! You inspire me to think outside the normal culinary box! Woo hoo!!
mmmmmmm.. Amy
Chips in chips. I love it. You have the best inspiration! Sweet does need salty sometimes to really take off, especially with a cookie as chocolate drenched as this one. Nice work!
You are just peerless, Prudy. Pretzels and chips!! That is absolutely brilliant, and would add the perfect salty-but-not-peanuty element. I also thought "this is really just a "one cookie at a time" kind of cookie, yet inexplicably found myself eating more than one at a time despite what I thought about them.
Wow -- I've never heard of that kind of cookie before. But it sounds wonderful with the salty and chocolate. I will have to try it out! Have a great day!
Holy Moly!!! Great idea! YUMM!!!
Those look perfect Prudy! I bet pretzels were the perfect addition.
I love the idea of adding preztels! I always toss all the crumbs at the bottom of the bag and now I have a use for them.
Oh man those look yummy!!
FUN with pretzels, these look yummy...sweet and salty. I was also laughing about another cookie, first it was fruit overload then cookie overload but I LOVE THEM!!!
You are one smart cookie! A great spin on a delicious recipe.
erin, this is one to enter a contest with. i can't wait to try them. are you headed back to nordicware? i didn't get called, but i am so okay with that--it is shaping up to be a busy weekend around here!:) i would have loved the gift certificate, though. maybe next year.
Aaaaaahhhhhhhh! Someone get me a straight-jacket STAT!! I just clicked on the seemingly innocent "Tuesdays with Dorie" link in your post. So-NOT-innocent! I'm contemplating going on a baking frenzy, breaking my diet and gaining 15 lbs - just like I did in college (in one semester, mind you) when I discovered that I loved to bake!! Darn you Prudy and Dorie! I'm going to have visions of mouth-watering baked goods circling my brain all day. However, I'm almost positive that my super-heightened sense of rationalization will work one or more of these recipes into my "diet" . . . it's never let me down before. :)
Just the other day I was thinking how great pretzels would be in a cookie...looks like I was right! =)
What a creative cookie! I would never think of putting potato chips in a cookie. I love it and I want to try this.
You got me with those pretzels and chips in the cookie! I love salty and sweet...there used to be a Ben and Jerry's flavor Chubby Hubby that had pretzels in the ice cream that I couldn't resist.
I can't wait for your whole wheat pizza crust tomorrow!
Oooh, I love the idea of pretzels in these cookies! A bit of salty with the sweets...my kind of treat.
Oh Prudy, don't tell Dorie but I prefer your version! I'm such a cookie monster myself!
Im glad you liked your cookies. I loved this recipe. Great pictures as usual!
Hmm... potato chips? Sounds interesting. I like the pretzels though!
~Cat
holy crap, i'm in love with this cookie. i love pretzels in ice cream but have never thought of baking them into a cookie. i've been wasting my time!
mmmm... I love salty/sweet and have never though to put pretzels in cookies before. Great idea!
You're so creative! I love that you put pretzels and potato chips in these. Sweet chocolate with a salty crunch sounds fantastic
I love the sweet and salty combo. You can't beat it (in fact I have been known to eat a bag of salted crisps (chips) at the same time as mars bar - is that disgusting? I was pregnant at the time)
Love yoru substitutions!
I love the idea of putting in pretzels - that would definitely tone down the chocolate in these. Great change!
These look so good. They remind me of a take five candy bar. Have you ever had one? They're so delicious!
These look delicious. I've crisped pretzels in the oven before adding them to some brownies I made but didn't think about spraying them first. I bet these would be good drizzled with caramel. Lovin' that salty-sweet combo!
Hey, you did it too! Pretzels and chocolate make a great combo, don't they?
Prudy these look so yummy and nice !!!!! Gloria
I hardley know these cookied and I'm already in love with them. Anything like a Take-5-Bar wiil always be a big hit with me. I can't wait to make these ones! I really wished I had pretzels in the pantry!
These look fantastic. Chips and pretzels would definitely cut the choco richness and bring it out at the same time. Yummy!
Michal:
No nordicware for me this year. And truly, I made my best cake yet. Such are these recipe contests.
Tanji:
You are hilarious. Could our sense of rationalizations be related by any chance???? They sound like they have a lot in common. I can never ever diet without cookies. I just make them on Sundays to get me through the week of dieting. That's what I should be doing now.
Prudy, You slay me every week with your interpretations of Dorie's recipes! I LOVE salty & sweet together, too.
oooohhhhhhh, pretzels. you are a genius. GENIUS.
Cookie! Cookie! Cookie! nom nom nom
Love the addition of pretzels. I totally wrote that down in my book when/if I make these cookies! Great job!
Clara @ iheartfood4thought
I love your version! Great thinking!
Just take one?? You have more willpower than me! :0)
Now that is a mix-in I can get behind!! You are my hero!
Brillant! Pretzels! All your ideas amaze me.
LOVE the salty, Prudy. I found myself wanting more salty. That was a lot of sweet intense chocolate.
Nancy
You my darling are a genius- I absolutely love pretzels.. I wonder if soft pretzels would work? hehe
It looks.. Um.. YUM!
awesome version! I need my creative juices to start flowing here to keep up with you all!
Seriously great idea about keeping those pretzels crunchy...that's why I come here, for the seriously great idea each week! Nice photos, too...it's always fun stopping by.
I used to LOVE eating pretzels sandwiched by potato chips. I love chocolate covered pretzels. I seriously think I'd DIE over your cookies! So imaginative!
You came back! How nice of you! I LOVE your variation idea and wish I could try some right now. And they are beautiful, too.
Came back and commented on my blog I mean...reread it and thought, "Jeez, that makes no sense whatsoever..."
Great idea! I am seriously amazed at how many recipes I try and love that pretzels are the secret ingredient to.
You really thought out of the box on this one, I wouldn't have though of chips and pretzels -and good work finding a way to keep 'em crunchy too!
Sensational looking cookies and so xcrummy :)
Rosie x
I love the salty variation! I would have never thought of it.
pretzels??? you are a genius and my hero :) great tip on the cooking spray. also, seeing cookie monster always brings a smile to my face :)
Your version of these cookies is terrific, next time I will have to give it a try. Love cookie monster!
You are a genius. Seriously, every week I'm amazed by your creativity. I'm not a huge pretzel fan but I AM a big chocolate-and-potato-chip fan (so trashy, I know!) so I would love to experiment with these and add some Ruffles next time. If I gain 10 lbs I'm blaming 5 lbs on Dorie and 5 lbs on you. :)
And a note about your previous post: I just bought all the ingredients for the Salsa Verde Turkey Burger and am SO excited to try it. Looks amazing!
I have got to try your version of this cookie! Completely yummy looking. I so miss being part of the cooking events but the last month I have been working 6 days a week, 10 hours each day. Hopefully, this is the last week and I can join everyone again. . .I love the pretzels and your pictures are beautiful =)
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