Saving the Earth with a Compost Cookie Bar?

composta/compost

Not this one...but its a fun thought!

There is a lot going on this week. Besides taking care of some personal things like doctor appointments, lawyers, and the continuous tweaking of the dessert menu for a dinner service that is supposed to start Friday, there is the Bake Sale!! Have you began baking? Or, if you're not participating, have you contributed? There are a zillion million bake sales across the US so there isn't an excuse not to help. (no pressure or anything....he he he!)

These cookie bars have nothing to do with the Bake Sale. I tried them for an event coming up at the restaurant. And, I tried another Momofuko recipe that turned out disastrous. So, I wanted to see if it was me, or...the recipes.

I don't think Momofuko recipes and I are meant to be a pair. While this recipe worked much better than the "crack pie", baking time was so, so much longer. Even so, the bar didn't turn out too bad. A little sweet for my liking, but Chef and one of the servers at work liked their taste and texture. Chef said the bars tasted just like the compost cookies.

Now, I must admit...I have an issue with following exact measurements when it comes to add-ins. The recipe below says 4 cups of mix ins, but who knows how much I added. Ha! And, that is what probably contributed to the extended cooking time.

Overall, I think these were fun...and would be fun to do with kids because they can throw in their favorite munchies...Cheetos, chips, goldfish...whatever!

Enjoy!

Compost Cookie Bar
adapted from Mary
(who adapted from the Momofuku compost cookie recipe on the Regis and Kelly website)

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 Tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp used coffee grounds
4 cups any baking/snack foods add-ins (I used m&ms, milk duds, Reese?s pieces, chocolate chips, pretzels pieces, cinnamon sugar Kettlecorn , crushed pretzels)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9 x 13 x 2 - inch baking pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars and corn syrup on medium high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and pale yellow in color. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.

On a lower speed, add eggs and vanilla to incorporate. Increase mixing speed to medium-high and start a timer for 10 minutes. During this time the sugar granules will fully dissolve, the mixture will become an almost pale white color and your creamed mixture will double in size.

When time is up, on a lower speed, add the flour mixture. Mix 45-60 sec just until your dough comes together and all remnants of dry ingredients have incorporated. Do not walk away from your mixer during this time or you will risk over mixing the dough. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.

On low speed, add in the coffee grounds and your chosen baking add-ins. Mix for 30-45 sec until they evenly mix into the dough. Add in your favorite snack foods last, paddling again on low speed until they are just incorporated.

Spread batter in your prepared 9 x 13 x 2 - inch pan. Sprinkle the top of the batter with about 1/2 tsp fine sea salt (optional). Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars when cooled to room temperature.