Butterscotch Cashew Pretzel Cookies

Sweet and salty has been my thing lately.  And cookies are always my thing.  Butterscotch chips also happen to be my thing, especially when added to cookies.  But then the oh-so-brilliant Jamie posted Cashew Cookies a few weeks ago, I fell in love with the idea of putting cashews in cookies.  And have continued to think about cashews in my cookies ever since.

And while we are at it, pretzels might be one of the best salty snacks out there.  In fact, as I am writing this, I am dipping them in cookie butter.  Talk about a sweet and salty snack.  Yes, please someone take this deathly heavenly combination away from me.  I can’t stop.

Back to the cookies…in my boredom while Paul was out of town last week, I spotted some pretzels in the pantry, and then some cashews.  And I always keep a stash of butterscotch chips in my baking cabinet, mostly just because I eat them as a snack.  I immediately set out to cream some butter and sugar for these butterscotch cashew pretzel cookies.

I used a new cookie base this time.  I decided to step away from my usual Cook’s Illustrated chocolate chip base and tried something a little bit new.  They were a little more dense but still amazingly chewy.  And this combo of add-ins definitely delivered to my hankering for sweet and salty.  Yes, hankering.  I sound more and more like my mom every day.

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Butterscotch Cashew Pretzel Cookies

Yield: 18 large cookies

Prep Time: 8 minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes

Thick and chewy, sweet and salty cookie with butterscotch chips, cashew pieces and pretzels.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup cashew pieces
1 cup pretzels

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat liner.

Mix the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl until combined. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until very fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla. Continue to mix for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is fluffy and homogenous.

Add in the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until incorporated and all streaks of flour are mixed in. Add the butterscotch chips, cashews and pretzels and continue to mix with the mixer until combined. This helps break up the pretzels a bit.

Scoop the cookie dough using a 2-3/4 ounce ice cream scooper (or a 1/3-cup measuring cup) onto the prepared sheets about 2 inches apart. Lightly pat down the tops of the scoops and bake in the prepared oven for 12-14 minutes, just until the edges begin to brown. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheets, and then the rest of the way on a wire cooling rack.

Cassie's Notes:
I think these would be amazing made with almonds and almond extract in place of the cashews and vanilla extract.

Make sure you watch the cookies in the last few minutes and bake them just until the edges begin to brown, don't over bake!

Adapted from Cookie Cravings By Maria Lichty of Two Peas and Their Pod