Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies

Can I be honest with you? The best part about dragon boat (aside from the exercise, being on the water and the gorgeous view) is the potluck my team puts together at our races. We each take turns bringing a food item, all delicious.


There was a member on our team who made the best cookies. Without a doubt, Jimmy brought cookies to every race because Jimmy cookies were high in demand. Unfortunately for us, he decided to quit dragon boat. The horror, the tears – no more Jimmy cookies!


I attempted to fill in the void this season with Martha Stewart's Everything but the Kitchen Sink cookies. As the name suggests, it has everything you could possibly imagine, though I omitted the dried fruit because they ruin cookies.

(Oatmeal raisin cookies are the worst.)


Pretzels may seem like a bizarre choice for a mix in, but it's the sweet-salty combination that makes these cookies addictive.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies
Adapted from Martha Stewart

The original recipe says it yields 18 cookies, presumably ginormous ones because I made 4 dozen out of this.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup demerara-style (or brown) sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup toffee bits
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup bittersweet dark chocolate chips
1 cup roughly chopped pecans
1 cup roughly chopped salted pretzels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and both sugars. (Alternatively, if you're lazy like me, cream by hand.) Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Stir in vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture; continue mixing until just combined. Add the oats, toffee, coconut, chocolate, pecans and pretzels, and mix until combined.

Drop batter onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Press tops down to flatten cookies evenly. Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake until golden, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.