Sweet and Salty Compost Cookies

The good news is that Hurricane Ana has veered away and is not making landfall in Hawaii.   However, the effects of her journey through the ocean have brought us a gray and rainy day. Perfect for hanging out guilt free inside and being kind of  very lazy.    The kind of lazy where you drink your souvenir Door County Coffee and eat a slice of pie.   Legitimate breakfast, right?  

Since moving to Hawaii, I'm more likely to go out for shave ice than ice cream.   However....my favorite ice cream spot on Front Street, Ono Gelato, has a deck on the back overlooking the ocean.   And they sell these delicious cookies called Compost Cookies.  I don't know what all is in them, but it does include potato chips.   This recipe that had some sweet and salty going on already and potato chips were a logical addition.   

Last weekend I made two different kinds of cookies and took them to straight into work on Monday.   Between our employee concierge table and a mandatory manager training, they were gone in no time....with rave reviews.  

What You Need

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1  egg
1/2  teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 - cup stick pretzels, broken into smaller pieces
1/2 cup Ruffles, or other ridged potato chips, broken into smaller pieces1/2 - cup Kraft caramel bits (surprised to find these - specific baking ingredients are hit or miss here in our stores)
1/4 - cup butterscotch chips
1/4 - cup chocolate chips

What You DoPreheat oven to 350 degrees.    Line your cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar.   Then add the vanilla and the egg.  
In a small bowl combine the salt, baking soda and flour.  Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Mix until combined.

Add the pretzel pieces, chips,  caramel bits and chips into the dough and mix together using a spatula.  Use a small cookie scoop (or a big one - your call based on how many cookies you'd like) to put them on your cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 11-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from baking sheet and cool completely on a wire rack.   I used a small cookie scoop and got about 27 cookies.      

Recipe slightly adapted from Mommy's Kitchen

Meanwhile in Maui...

There isn't really a feeling of fall here - in fact September and October can be the hottest months of the year as the tradewinds tend to die down.    Last weekend I went Upcountry and hiked the Waihou Spring trail near Makawao.   That's where I found fall.   It was 20 degrees cooler than it was in Lahaina.   The smell of the pine trees and needles.  The sound of  rushing water.   I felt like I could have been hiking in Colorado or Wisconsin.   Amazing.