Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies

Chocolate?  Peanut Butter?  Pretzels???  Sweet and salty together in a cookie?  Yes, please!  Let's bake!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (fine grain)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup of butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup cane sugar or 1/2 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg (beaten)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (use the real stuff, not the simulated/artificial if you can avoid it)
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips (I used semisweet chips and they were fine but I think the milk chocolate would match with the salt much better)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips (I didn't have these so I used these mini peanut butter pieces that were in my pantry - they're basically mini chocolate peanut butter cups.  I think those multicolored mini Reese Pieces would work too)
• 1/2 cup broken up pretzel pieces (full salt please)
• Pretzel Salt or Sea Salt

Directions:
1.  In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking soda.  No need to get a fancy flour sifter - I just used a fine strainer.

2.  In a larger bowl, cream together the sugars and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy (approx 4-5 minutes).  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  On low speed, slowly add the beaten egg and vanilla extract until combined.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3.  Add the flour mixture and mix until there is no more flour visible.  Stir in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and pretzel pieces until combined.  Cover and refrigerate for an hour.

4.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Scoop well rounded tablespoonfuls of dough and sprinkle with pretzel or sea salt.  Leave about 2 inches of space between each ball.  Bake for 10 minutes, add 1-2 minutes if you want a crispier cookie.  

5.  Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to cooling rack.
6.  Eat and enjoy!

Note:  I wanted bigger cookies so I went with 2 tablespoonfuls and slightly flattened them on the cookie sheet. It took a baking time of about 15-17 minutes, adding another 2 for a crispier cookie.  They were SO GOOD.  I only had the fine grain sea salt so that's what I sprinkled on top but if I could, I would've gone for the bigger sea or pretzel salt grains if I could to give it that extra crunch.


(Recipe adapted from Sugar Cooking)