Butterfinger Pretzel Cookies

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you just want to hit the fast forward button to not just Friday or the weekend, but to the next week? The last two weeks were those weeks.

Warning – I’m going to be whiner, because I’ve been known to be one every now and again. And I feel like commiserating over food is appropriate. If you feel differently, head straight to the recipe. These Butterfinger Pretzel Cookies are not to be missed. 

For those still reading, let’s do this, where was I? Oh yes, hell week (actually hell week times two) . . . so Matt was sick, my 10-year-old had strep and my 3-year-old had a walking pneumonia and the dog had party butt. Then I broke the air remote to my studio lights because I was lazy with my set up. Dumb—so dumb! —I may have saved myself 10 minutes of work, but it was at the cost of $400.

Then Halloween happened and all the sickness was cleared, the dog was no longer quarantined, and I ended up with buckets of candy via my kids. Naturally I pilfered through the kid’s loot and walked away with enough Butterfinger to turn out these Butterfinger Pretzel Cookies.

Now all I have to do is replace the air remote, but I can’t seem to pull the trigger just yet because it’s limping along and until it completely dies I’m allocating those dollars to some new ceramics.

But back to the food, right? Okay here you go, some notes on this recipe:

• This cookie is a riff on my Potato Chip Chocolate Chop cookies from here: https://www.bakersroyale.com/potato-chip-chocolate-chip-cookies/
• Any type of pretzels roughly chopped will work, but I used the small pretzels from Snyder’s.
• For the Butterfinger, if you can find the Butterfingers crumbles—get them. Of course I saw the crumbles at Target after I baked the cookies. If you are unable to source the Butterfinger crumble, buy the candy bar and give it a good chop.
• The molasses, not totally necessary, but it does give the cookies added chewiness while still keeping the edges crispy.

Butterfinger Pretzel Cookies

Yield: 28-30 three-inch cookies

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Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold (NOTE: not softened or melted), cut into 1 tablespoon-size pieces
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar + 2 tablespoons
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
• 6 oz. (1 cup) 63% dark chocolate chunks
• 4 oz. (1 cup) crushed Butterfinger 
• 1 oz. (3/4 cup) pretzels, roughly chopped

Instructions

Preparation: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer bowl, fitted with a paddle attachment at medium-high speed, beat butter until smooth, about 2 - 3 minutes. Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scraped down the bowl and add the egg, beat until well combined. Next add the molasses and beat until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and add the flour mixture and crumbled Butterfinger all at once and beat on low until just combined. Add fold in both chocolate and pretzel.

Use a 2 tablespoon capacity cookie dough scoop, or alternately, use 2 leveled tablespoons and form dough into balls. Place dough balls on baking sheet 2-inches apart. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. (Don't worry about undercooking them to keep them chewy, they will be chewy anyways with the molasses). Half way through, switch the pans top to bottom and front to back. Remove from oven and transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool for 1-2 minutes before removing cookies to a rack to cool.