Whatever-ya-have Cookies

Every once in a while, my family starts dropping hints that they’d like some homemade cookies. Today was one of those days — and, not wanting to go out in the snow to pick up ingredients, I made cookies from “whatever we have.”

The recipe starts out like a modified version of  your standard chocolate chip cookie. Then, it veers slightly off course as you add in whatever else you have left over from previous cooking & baking adventures. Today I found some yummy leftover add-ins, so I guess you could say I made Heath-Coconut-Pecan-Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Whatever-Ya-Have Cookies

First, you’ll need to make your cookie dough base. You’ll add more flour to this after you’ve mixed in all of your “other stuff.”

Base Dough Ingredients

1 cup of butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt (use 1 teaspoon if you use unsalted butter)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cup flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter until fluffy.
2. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs & vanilla. Mix until well combined.
3. Add salt, baking soda & flour and mix.

Next, you can add your “extras.” I used the following:
1/4 cup Heath bits
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

After mixing the add-ins into the base dough the dough still wasn’t firm enough, so I added 1/4 cup of flour. If you add oatmeal, you may need to add less (or no) flour. The dough should be the consistency of your standard chocolate chip cookie dough.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Once baked, let sit for a couple minutes & then transfer to wire baking racks to cool. Makes about thirty 3″ cookies.

Other ideas for add-ins:

• pretzel pieces
• oatmeal
• white chocolate chips
• walnuts
• almond slivers
• M&Ms or Reeses bits

Enjoy!

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Whatever-ya-have Cookies- Frugal Homemade

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Homemade cookies using "whatever-ya-have" left over in your baking stash!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cookies

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 30 cookies

Author Rachel Singer

Ingredients

• Base Dough Ingredients
• 1 cup of butter softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt use 1 teaspoon if you use unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cup flour

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter until fluffy.
• Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs & vanilla. Mix until well combined.
• Add salt, baking soda & flour and mix.
• **Next, you can add your "extras." I used the following: 1/4 cup Heath bits, 1/2 cup shredded coconut, 1/3 cup chopped pecans and 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.
• After mixing the add-on ingredients into the base dough, the dough still wasn't firm enough so I added 1/4 cup of flour. If you add oatmeal, you may need to add less (or no) flour. The dough should be the consistency of your standard chocolate chip cookie dough.
• Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Once baked, let sit for a couple minutes & then transfer to wire baking racks to cool. Makes about thirty 3" cookies.