Lunchbox Cookies

One of life’s greatest hacks is always having homemade freezer cookies on-hand. Your homemade creation stored safely in an airtight bag, and stashed in your cooler for when a sweet treat is necessary. For me, that’s like every night after dinner. The trick is getting a perfectly preserved cookie out as you make dinner, let it thaw to room temperature while you cook + eat, and it’s ready for you to enjoy when it’s time for dessert. If you’re feeling wild, go ahead and throw it in the oven for minute.

Well our freezer stash was depleted + we had family coming for an overnight trip, and I thought that to be the perfect time to try my hand at Lunchbox Cookies. A cookie that has all the classic lunchbox finds - chips, pretzels and the iconic pb+j. Chip of choice - classic Ruffles. Literally give me any excuse to buy a wavy potato chip + I’ll take it. It’s salty, it’s sweet, and it’s all mixed together with a hefty scoop of chocolate chunks for one very delicious cookie. Made these to win over my sweet little nephews, and in true form neither one of them wanted to even try one. They were much more interested in the bowl of gummy bears. Lesson learned is keep it classic when it comes to cookies + these kids, but they were much enjoyed by the adults + I’m thrilled to have them to re-stock my freezer stash.

 
 

Loves an amped up chocolate chip cookie

When it comes to chocolate cookies at my house, I love to spice em up. From throwing in some walnuts to mixing in some butterscotch chips - I love a little something extra. This is a cookie that is loaded to the brim with extras. The base being a classic chocolate chip cooke dough. The key - get your hands on the best chocolate possible and use that. I have a big bar of gourmet dark chocolate (a very silly Christmas gift from our lawyers that I’m putting to very good use) that I’ve been cutting up for cookings like this. It is perfection.

Now this super dark chocolate with a couple salty staples - pretzels + potato chips - is next level. The best bite being a taste of melt chocolate + a big chunk of salty Ruffles. Pure bliss. And this cookie is full of bites that perfect mix salty + sweet.

Must chill the dough!

These are a buttery cookie, and the point to be made is they will spread. And spread big time during the bake. So in order make sure you don’t just have a tray of dough that has completely melted together, a quick few minutes in the freezer before the baking trays go into the oven is necessary.

 
 

Bigger = better

Word to the wise - use a a big cookie scoop. The cherry on top when it comes to this cookie is all the good stuff on top. The dollop of pb+j along with the extra bits of pretzels + chips shoved on top. I mean - heavenly. Speaking to the pb+j specifically, the peanut butter gets melty + oozes over the top of the cookie and acts as this pseudo frosting over the top. And it’s so good you want a hefty dose of it. So you need a big cookie. Thing big cookie scoop, probably close to a 1/4 cup equivalent, balled up and lightly smashed into a disk on your cookie sheet, and ready for your heaps of toppings.

So fun, such a good amped up chocolate chip cookie, and one I’ll totally make again. And one I was thrilled to have in my freezer stash for a couple weeks.

 
 

For the cookies

  • 1 1/4 c. butter

  • 1/2 c. dark brown sugar

  • 1/2 c. sugar

  • 1 egg + 1 egg yolk

  • 3/4 tsp baking soda

  • pinch of salt

  • 2 2/3 c. flour

  • 1/2 c. chocolate chunks

  • 3/4 c. crushed pretzels

  • 3/4 c. crushed wavy potato chips (I highly recommend using Ruffles)

  • 1/3 c. peanut butter

  • 1/4 c. raspberry jelly

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a couple of bakings sheet with parchment.

Add the butter + sugar to a stand mixer and cream everything together at medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Add in the egg + egg yolk, mixing until the eggs have been thoroughly mixed in. Add in the baking soda, salt + half of the flour. Mix on low until the flour is fulled mixed in. Add the rest of the flour and continue to mix on low, gradually increasing the speed to medium until the dough is smooth, and appears light + airy. Add in the chocolate chunks + a half cup each of the pretzels and chips. When the mix-ins having been incorporated, place the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Use a cookie scoop close to 1/4 cup in size to ball up the dough the + place the balls on the prepared baking sheets. Use your palm to gently flatten the dough. Top each cookie with 1 tsp of peanut butter, a 1/2 tsp of jam, and then sprinkle some remaining chips + pretzels over the top (I like to smash a larger chunk of each into the top of each cookie). Place the prepared cookie sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking. Bake the cookies for 15 to 18 minutes - rotating + smacking the pan at the 10 minute mark.

Lesley ZehnerComment