Take it with a grain of salt...

    I came across this recipe while looking for something different to bake and take to an out of town baseball tournament. Sweet and salty seems to be all the rage these days, and what goes better with a beer (incognito in a red solo cup of course) at the ballpark than a salty snack?  I made a double batch of these cookies and I have to be honest, I am on the outfield fence about them.  The first bite is an eye opener to be sure.  The melody of sweet and salty plays over your tongue while your brain tries to figure out if you are eating a cookie or a pretzel. It's an interesting combination to say the least.  About half of the baseball parents were in favour of them and half not so much; my husband was in the former, myself in the latter.

     Here is the recipe; and as the old saying implies, you should take what you read and evaluate it on your own. I will say that they bake up nicely and make an impressive looking cookie. They are also a good conversation starter and fodder for debate around the ball diamond.

Salt of the Ballpark Cookies

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup pretzels, broken into pieces

• In a medium bowl sift together the flour baking soda and salt.
• In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2~3 minutes).
• On low speed, slowly add the beaten egg and vanilla.
• Beat to combine, scraping down sides of the bowl.
• Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and pretzels.
• Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

*Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

• Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Scoop out well rounded spoon fulls of dough and place on cookie sheet.
• Sprinkle with sea salt or leftover salt from the pretzels (* I may omit this step the next time I make these as I think it was just too much in the way of flavouring).
• Bake 10~12 minutes until golden brown around the edges.
• Allow to cool on cookie sheet 1~2 minutes before removing to cool on wire baking racks.

With cookies like these, who needs peanuts and Cracker Jacks?