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.
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 pretzelsDirections:
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
Print Recipe
I just realized I haven’t been to your blog in a while. Your cookies look awesome!
Sweet and salty is my favorite! I love the fact that these cookies have that balance as well as a healthy dose of cashews. Really, that can’t be wrong. 🙂 Can’t wait to give these a whirl. I’ve been meaning to make cookies lately anyway!
I feel like I’m adapting more and more of my moms lingo every second (scary how that happens!). These cookies look awesome, Cassie!! I have a huge bag of cashews on top of my fridge too 😉
Cashews are my favorite. Combined with pretzels and butterscotch chips in a cookie? That’s a recipe for the most perfect disaster 😉
LOVE this recipe!
I love cashews in cookies, this sounds like a great salty-sweet cookie!
I make a similar cookie…I will have to try your recipe next! Yum!
Mmm, I’ve never had cashews in cookies before! Yum yum.
Also…I may or may not sit on my couch dipping pretzels in cookie butter on a semi-nightly basis. It’s SO dangerous. …and so good.
Cassie, I’ve been on a big salty/sweet kick too and satisfying it with homemade trail mix. But these? Yum! They are getting bookmarked to try soon!
Oooh – this sweet + salty combination sounds fantastic. Will there be some at the party tonight? 😉
I am a sweet and salty lover. My mom adores cashews…will need to keep this one in mind for her!
Great cookies, they look and sound yummy with a little of everything you could want in a cookie craving.
Sweet, salty and delicious! I would love a warm batch of these cookies baking in my kitchen! Yum!
I’m all OVER the sweet and salty thing lately too! I think I need it in cookie form…specifically these.
a girl after my own heart!! you know I love sweet/salty and butterscotch is just the best. I like it better than chocolate… so true!
These sound like my kind of cookie! I love all those flavors and I bet they taste amazing together! YuM!
I really like the idea of cashews in cookies! I don’t think I’ve ever had one with them in there. I buy cashews for the sole purpose of making cookie dough bites, maybe I should actually make legit cookies with them? 😉 Have a great weekend, Cassie!
I love butterscotch cookies! And I have never thought to add cashews. My local grocery has not had butterscotch chips recently which really stresses me out! I will go looking again today. BTW, the oatmeal cookie recipe on the back of the Nestle butterscotch chips is unbelievably good!
Oh, my. These look fabulous!!!!
What’s better than cookies on Friday?? Not much, especially with this flavor combo happening. YUM! 🙂
I am loving butterscotch more and more these days. These cookies sound fabulous!
These are amazing, Cassie!! I love the sweet and salty combination, especially in cookies!
These cookies are packed with goodness! PS: I would totally dip pretzels in cookie butter too 🙂
Cookies are always my thing too 🙂 Love these!
Oh how I love cookies! These are a must make this weekend!
Interesting that you tried a new cookie dough base (Maria’s) and stepped away from the C.I. Would love to hear more details about how they differ. More dense but still amazingly chewy has me intrigued! And I love butterscotch chips!
Cassie replied: — June 22nd, 2012 @ 3:35 pm
It was a much thicker dough that the CI one. I think the melted butter is responsible for that. They didn’t have the gooey center that the CI cookies do but they are still really chewy in the center. They didn’t spread as much as I had imagined that they would either.
Sweet and salty, I’m SOLD!
Um, and pretzels dipped in cookie butter, pretty much my favorite movie snack. I have a little bowl of chocolate chips to dip them in TOO!
Love salty, love sweet – these sound like amazing cookies with all the delicious mix-ins!
I have been CRAVING butterscotch chips lately. My mom made oatmeal scotchies growing up that I totally loved. I’ve never made them for the girls. That’s all about to change. Happy weekend!
Cassie replied: — June 22nd, 2012 @ 3:36 pm
Same to you, Sarah! My mom always made oatmeal scotchies too, I think that’s where my love for the butterscotch chips came from too!
Ha ha, cookies are always my thing as well! Yours look delicious.
I could eat cashews all day every day. Putting them in a cookie with butterscotch, have mercy. I think you’ve hit jackpot!
I’m a sucker for anything sweet and salty! And I love butterscotch! These cookies look fabulous, Cassie!
They look thick and loaded! Love that.
I’m really not much of a cookie person but I would eat my weight in these! I loooooove the sweet & salty thing so much!
Gorgeous cookies, they just look so wonderful!! Yum!
Oh my. Chewy butterscotch cookies. What’s better than butterscotch? Nothing! Love love love butterscotch and these cookies sound amazing with the addition of pretzels! Happy weekend to you. 🙂
Love all the ingredients here. My kids and I just finished baking cookies too. 🙂 Have a great weekend!!
I have a thing for cashews and butterscotch chips too. These cookies look incredible!
I love that you eat butterscotch chips as a snack…I always have a hidden bag in my cupboard for the same thing:-) Sweet and salty treats get me every single time….love these cookies!!!
I have all these ingredients on hand in my pantry right now! Looks like I might make this soon 🙂 I love that the consistency is still chewy and soft!
Oh man, how did you know that I was craving pretzels?!!! Looks like I’ll be doing some late-night baking tonight!
Cookies, cookies, cookies!!! What a salty sweet wonder!
I used these butterscotch chips for my homemade vanilla ice cream and they really made a big difference. I bet they’d really taste awesome in cookies too!
These cookies look heavenly. I love the combo of butterscotch and cashew! Yummy!
I really love your photography! These look beautiful.
Oooh, these look fantastic! I need to shake up my cookie add ins ana pretzels with butterscotch chips sound perfect 🙂
My tummy just did a little happy dance. I love all of these things!!
Cashews are one of my favourite nuts, your recipe looks fantastic! I can imagine it would taste great. 🙂
Love this combination! Great idea Cassie! Anything sweet & salty is right up my alley.
Mmm these sound fabulous! Love it!
Sweet and salty is my weakness, and those cookies look great!
I love this…am obsessed with butterscotch. Yours look so good!!!
These cookies just slay me – I eat butterscotch out of the bag!!
LOVE pretzel in baked goods! if you liked these you need to try these amazing bars–http://www.thesweetslife.com/2012/01/butterscotch-blondie-bars-with-peanut.html
Sweet and salty, one of my favorite combinations! I’ve never baked with cashews but they’re one of my favorite nuts, I need to get on that!
i just want to hang out with you all day and stage your food photographs! how much fun that looks! this looks amazing….the photography….oh, and the gronola too. 😉
Cassie replied: — June 28th, 2012 @ 9:49 am
That would be amazingly fun!!
by the way, maybe i should go back and actually read this post and make sure it’s not another give away. if it is, i just entered myself twice.
These are indeed yummy. I was thrilled to see a new butterscotch chip recipe-I will definitely add this to my holiday faves baking list.