White Chocolate Pretzel Cookie
MAKES 12 COOKIES
Another iconic Maman cookie, these buttery, golden beauties combine crispy, crunchy pretzels with rich and smooth white chocolate to hit all the right sweet and salty notes. We like to use chocolate baking wafers in our cookies because, unlike chips, they melt into the dough, guaranteeing an extra-gooey center that we’re pretty sure will make you fall head over heels. Our favorite way to enjoy these cookies is warm from the oven with a cold glass of milk.
GATHER
1½ sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white chocolate baking wafers (such as Guittard)
1 cup salted mini pretzels, plus more for garnish
MAKE IT
1. Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, and salt and beat on medium, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, for about 2 minutes to fully combine. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition and mixing until the dough starts sticking to the sides of the bowl, about 3 minutes total. Add the vanilla and mix for a few seconds to incorporate. Add the flour in 2 batches and mix on low just until no flour is visible, about
1 minute. Add the baking wafers and the pretzels and fold with a wooden spoon for about 30 seconds to evenly distribute.
3. Scoop the dough into roughly ¼-cup portions and, using your hands, roll each portion into a ball. Arrange the balls of dough on the prepared sheet pans, spacing them about 1½ inches apart. Top each ball of dough with a pretzel, pressing firmly to flatten the cookie slightly.
4. Transfer one sheet pan to the oven and bake, rotating the sheet pan as needed for even baking, until the bottoms and edges are browned but the centers are still a little gooey, 18 to 20 minutes.
5. Let cool on the sheet pan for at least 10 minutes, then enjoy right away or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 20 minutes. Repeat to bake the remaining cookies. Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.