Margaritas…

These ice cold, fruity concoctions are always the life of the party.  Whether on the rocks or blended there’s just something about this beverage that feels like a reason to celebrate.

Now, here is the only problem.  Whenever I have tried to make a blended margarita at home, the results have been less than stellar.  There are always big chunks of ice, and it seems to get watered down and separated before I even have a chance to say “salud!”  That’s when Vitamix steps in to save the day.

This recipe is just another reason I adore this appliance.  The power of this incredible machine crushes and blends the ice just like your favorite Mexican restaurant.  Plus, you don’t even have to squeeze or juice the citrus.  It’s called a “whole fruit” margarita for a reason!  All you have to do is peel and seed the fruit and then just toss it in the blender.

This Cinco de Mayo I will be celebrating with one (or two…) of these delicioso drinks.  Remember, you all have a reason to celebrate too!  Right now I am hosting a blog giveaway and one lucky reader will win this exact machine.  Read all about it HERE and enter to win!

Whole Fruit Margaritas  (click here to view and print recipe)

1/4 cup water

6 ounces tequila

2 ounces Grand Marnier

1 medium orange, peeled and halved

1 lime, peeled and halved

1 lemon, peeled, halved, and seeded

1/4 cup plus 2  Tablespoons sugar

6 cups ice cubes

1.  Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.

2.  Select Variable 1.

3.  Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.

4.  Blend for 45 seconds, using the tamper to press the ingredients into the blades.

5.  Pour into salt-rimmed margarita glasses.

Per 1 cup serving:  262 calories, 1 g protein, 1 g Fat

By the way, if you are looking for a quick and easy appetizer to serve along side your margaritas this weekend, may I suggest this recipe!  This “Avocado Yogurt Sauce” is also prepared quickly and easily in a Vitamix.  Here I used it as a dipping sauce for shrimp cocktail.  It’s also great with tacos, fajitas, seafood, poultry or as a salsa alternative with chips.

Avocado Yogurt Sauce  (click here to view and print recipe)

1 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt

2 avocados, peeled, pitted

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 lime, peeled, halved

1 teaspoon salt

1 jalapeno pepper, halved, seeds and membranes removed

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1.  Place all ingredients, except cliantro leaves, into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.

2.  Set Variable 1.

3.  Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.

4.  Blend for 30 seconds, using the tamper to press the ingredients into the blades.

5.  Reduce speed to Variable 7.  Remove lid plug and add cilantro through the lid plug opening.

6.  Blend for 15 seconds.

Yield:  3 cups

Nutrition Information per 2 Tablespoons:  29 Calories, 1 g Protein, 2 g Total Fat, 0 g Saturated Fat, 0 mg Cholestrol, 3 g Carbs, 1 g Fiber, 1 g Sugar, 111 mg Sodium.

*Note:  Leaves seeds and membrane in jalapeno for a spicier sauce.

Look at those colors!

This time of year, I love the vibrant reds of fresh strawberries and rhubarb stalks at the farmer’s markets.  Plus, they are so flavorful, I couldn’t wait to taste the winner of our latest contest.  Our creative home cooks were asked to use one or the other in their recipe, but our winner, Trisha  Krause, decided to use both!

Trisha says, “When we moved to our current home as newlyweds, we discovered that we already had a bumper crop of rhubarb and strawberries ready for harvest.  This cake is the first one I baked for my new husband with produce from our new home.  I make it every spring when our garden brings forth it’s bounty.”

I love how she took the strawberry and rhubarb flavors and gave the coffee cake a tropical twist by adding coconut and macadamia nuts.  You could certainly enjoy this recipe at breakfast or a leisurely Sunday brunch, but according to Trisha it is also great for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

 STRAWBERRY RHUBARB COCONUT COFFEE CAKE  (click here to view and print recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar

2/3 cups Oil

1 Egg

1 tsp Coconut Extract

2 1/2 cup Flour

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 cup Vanilla Yogurt

1 1/ 2 Cups Rhubarb, chopped

1 1/2 cups sliced Strawberries

3/4 cup Sweetened, shredded coconut

1/3 cup Sugar

2 Tbsp Butter

1/2 cup Chopped Macadamias Nuts

1/4 cup Sweetened, shredded coconut

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease a 9 x 13 inch pan and set aside. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar, oil, egg and extract together until smooth. Combine flour, salt and baking soda; add to sugar mixture alternately with yogurt. Beat until smooth. Fold in rhubarb, strawberries and 3/4 cup coconut. Transfer to prepared pan. In a small bowl, combine sugar, butter, nuts and 1/4 cup coconut until crumbly, sprinkle over batter and bake 40 to 55 minutes or until golden and top springs back when pressed. Makes 20 servings.

HELPFUL TIPS:

This cake is delicious served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting all over it! I made this cake up by combining elements from several different recipes to serve at a Luau themed party. Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. Now it’s a “must bring” to pot lucks. I make sure and freeze plenty of rhubarb so I always have some on hand.

Are you all ready for one of the coolest blog giveaways ever?!?  I am so excited about this prize I can hardly contain myself!

That’s right…we are giving away a VITAMIX!!!

You have to check out this Vitamix 5200 Super Deluxe Complete Kitchen Package.

With three containers, two cookbooks, durable spatulas and flexible cutting boards, you’ll be prepared with everything you need to conveniently make entire meals with your Vitamix.

Here are some highlights of the machine:

64 oz. and 32 oz. containers for smoothies, hot soups, and frozen desserts
32 oz. Dry Grains container for grinding fresh, whole-grain flour and kneading dough
Also includes 2 cookbooks, durable kitchen spatulas, and flexible cutting boards

This high performance blender is the number one choice among professional chefs.  In fact, Vitamix is currently the sponsor of Chopped All-Stars!

Soon you will be cooking just like your favorite stars, because these machines are easy to use and extremely versatile. This one appliance can chop, cream, blend, cook, grind, knead, churn, and more!  Plus, it cleans itself in 30 seconds with a just a drop of dish soap and warm water.

Here is all you have to do:

Leave a comment here on the blog telling us why you have always dreamed of owning a Vitamix.  For one lucky Better Recipes reader this dream will come true!      

One winner will be randomly selected two weeks from today.  Be sure to come back to see if YOU are the winner!

Official Rules

*Note: Comments need to be approved through WordPress. If you don’t see yours right away, don’t worry…I will get to it as soon as I can! Remember to leave a comment right here on the blog itself, not on one of the photos, or on our Facebook or Twitter pages. Thanks!

For more information on Vitamix, be sure to check out their Facebook and Twitter pages.  You can connect with other Vitamix fans and owners for recipes, culinary ideas and any ongoing support.  Good luck everyone!

I am always on the hunt for a new way to make chocolate chip cookies.  There have been many posts here on “The Daily Dish” dedicated to this ever so indulgent treat:

Milk Bar Compost Cookies - Chocolate chips and everything but the kitchen sink.

Black and White Cake Mix Cookies - This dough is made with a cake mix, an easy and fun twist

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies - These have only 45 calories and one wild ingredient.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies - Whether you follow a G-Free diet or not, these are amazing!

Chocolate-Lover’s Oatmeal Delights - Danger zone…try not to eat all the dough before you even cook them!  It’s that good.

World’s Greatest Chocolate Chip Cookies - Would I lie to you?  These are my all-time favorite and my go-to recipe.

This recipe caught my eye, because it had a very unique twist.  We are all familiar with “cookies and milk” but what about cookies and soda!  (Or pop…as the case may be.)  When I was at the South Beach Wine and Food Fest, Diet Pepsi was one of the event sponsors and they were handing out this recipe.  I had to give it a try!

Diet Pepsi Chocolate Chunk Cookies  (click here to view and print recipe)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 extra-large egg, at room temperature

1 tablespoon Diet Pepsi, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or pure vanilla extract

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

Sift the flour and baking soda.  Set aside.  Using an electric mixer, beat the butter for about 3 minutes until soft.  Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar and beat for 5 minutes until fluffy.  Add the egg, Diet Pepsi, and vanilla and beat until blended.  Add the flour mixture and beat until combined.

Using a 3 tablespoon ice cream scoop, shape the dough into balls and arrange them close together on a small baking sheet.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour until well chilled.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Arrange the chilled dough on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart.  Using the palm of your hand, flatten each dough mound slightly.

Bake for 12 minutes, switching the baking sheet positions halfway through baking, until light golden brown.  Let cool completely.

I have to say that you don’t necessarily taste the Diet Pepsi in the cookies.  However they do have a nice moisture and texture, so maybe that has something do do with it?   Who knows!  I was also excited to experiment with vanilla bean paste instead of the usual vanilla extract.  ”Tidy Mom” recently did a post about her love for this paste and I have to agree, I’m hooked!

Of course, you could always take advice from one Hollywood starlet and use it as perfumed “man bait.”  Not gonna lie…I just might try it.  The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, right?  (I’ll keep you posted on results…)

Scrabble Macaroni and Cheese with Corn  (click here to view and print recipe)

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

2 Tablespoons dried onion

1 can corn (about 14 ounces) whole kernel corn (do not drain)

1 can (about 11 ounces) creamed corn

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup uncooked macaroni

Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place butter in a 2-quart casserole dish and place in oven until the butter melts.  Stir in dried onion.  Add rest of ingredients and mix well.  Cover pan and bake for 40 minutes.  Uncover pan and bake uncovered for an additional 30 minutes or until the macaroni is cooked.   Serves 6.

“Kalimera!”  (That’s “good day” in Greek.)

I am so excited to share this recipe with all of you today.  Would you believe me if I told you that I waited 20 years to try this pizza? It’s true!

Back in the ’80′s my mom was a finalist in the Pillsbury Bake-Off with this mouth-watering Greek-style pizza.  As a young girl at the time I turned my nose up at the shrimp, olives, and feta cheese toppings and wouldn’t try it.  I remember watching her practice the recipe several times before the contest and every time I would opt for something else for dinner.

Now, here we are all these years later and I decided it was time for me to finally taste her creation!  It smelled heavenly as the aromas wafted from the oven.  One bite and I was simply blown away!  What was I thinking all those years ago?   This pizza is outstanding!

I sure am glad my palate evolved over the years and now can appreciate this unique recipe all these years later.  If only I hadn’t been so picky as a child!

If you are feeling a little adventurous this week, take pizza night to a whole new level with this Greek-style recipe.  It’s a great way to introduce new flavors but in a familiar format.  The shrimp cook up quickly and the ready made pizza crust is a snap!

“Kali Orexi!”  (Enjoy!)

Shrimp and Feta Greek-Style Pizza  (click here to view and print recipe)

1 Tablespoon cornmeal

1 package (10-onces) Pillsbury Refirgerated All-Ready Pizza Crust

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 pound uncooked fresh medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup sliced green onion, some green tops included

1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary

1 can (2 1/2 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Grease 12-inch pizza pan and sprinkle with cornmeal.  Unroll the dough and place in the greased pan; starting at the center, press out with your hands.  Sprinkle with mozzarella.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the shrimp and garlic.  Cook only until the shrimp are pink, about 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Don’t overcook.

Spoon the shrimp and garlic over the mozzarella cheese.  Sprinkle evenly with the feta, green onion, rosemary, and olives.

Bake until golden and bubbly, 18 to 22 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.  Cut and serve hot!

The “Deviled Eggs” contest was a blast, and the entries received were so creative!  This week our big winner is Cameron Stell, also known as “Camstell8” on Better Recipes.

It really is incredible how these perfect little eggs can be transformed in so many delicious ways!    Did you know there is actually no difference between brown and white eggs?  Nutritionally they are the same, and the color comes from the breed of chicken.  However, on average brown eggs tend to be more expensive than white eggs!  Specific breeds of brown hens are larger than white hens and require more food, which translates into the higher cost at checkout.

Yet, somehow I just feel “fancier” cooking with brown eggs…why is that?!  Now if only I could get my hands on some of Martha Stewart’s fabled blue eggs…

These Cobb Salad Deviled Eggs were absolutely scrumptious, and they were quickly gobbled up this weekend over Sunday brunch.  I love the idea of taking traditional, familiar recipes and giving them a unique twist!  In fact, we have seem recipes like this several times in the Better Recipes weekly contests.  There was the General Tso’s Slow Cooker Tacos, the Inside Out Chinese Spring Roll Salad, as well as Shrimp Scampi Burgers.

The Cobb Salad was first created at the Brown Derby Restaurant in Hollywood.   There is a version of the recipe posted here by “lynnda” as well as the one pictured above from Recipe.com.

Brown Derby Cobb Salad

Classic California Cobb Salad

As the legend goes one night in 1937, Bob Cobb, then owner of The Brown Derby, prowled hungrily in his restaurant’s kitchen for a snack. Opening the huge refrigerator, he pulled out this and that: a head of lettuce, an avocado, some romaine, watercress, tomatoes, some cold breast of chicken, a hard-boiled egg, chives, cheese and some old-fashioned French dressing. He started chopping. Then he added some crisp bacon and voila!  The Cobb Salad was born.

The salad was nothing short of an overnight Hollywood success story.  Popular with Sid Grauman (of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre) as well as movie mogul Jack Warner.  I think Cameron’s deviled eggs will have just as much success right here on Better Recipes!

COBB SALAD STYLE DEVILED EGGS  (click here to view and print recipe)

6 Hard Boiled Eggs

1/4 cup Crumbled Blue Cheese

2 Tbsp Plain Yogurt

1 Avocado Chopped

Salt & Pepper

3 Pieces Cooked Bacon

6 Cherry Tomatoes

Slice eggs in half and place yolks in a bowl with blue cheese, yogurt and avocado. Mash together and add salt and pepper to taste. Crumble bacon and slice cherry tomatoes in half. Stuff eggs with mixture. Top with crumbled bacon and half a tomato.

Also, don’t forget to check out the Reader’s Choice Winner this week.  Wasabi Deviled Eggs with Sesame Ginger Slaw from “deezrecipeze“.  Fabulous!

Last week I told you all about the adventures in Orlando for the 2012 Pillsbury Bake-Off.  With the giveaway this week, you can feel like you are part of the action!

First, I want to make sure to announce the winner of the recent “Get Grillin’” giveaway.  Congratulations to #75 Dayne Seiden!  (I sent you an email, but haven’t heard back yet…be sure to respond so I can mail you the prize!)

By the way, don’t forget about the awesome $500 Pork Be Inspired giveaway we have going on as well.  Who doesn’t want some extra mulah?!

Simply click here and leave a comment on the discussion board as directed:  http://pork.betterrecipes.com/groups/start-with-pork/discussions/Start_with_Pork_-_You_Could_Win_%24500!/29045391

Here is what you could win:

Official 2012 Pillsbury Bake-Off Apron

Chef Jeff Cooks Cookbook – I made one of his recipes last week…it was to die for!

Martha Stewart Collection Cookie Jar

Martha Stewart Collection Mixing Bowl

Martha Stewart Collection Spoon

Smucker’s Tote Bag

Here is all you have to do:

Leave a comment here on the blog telling us what you would do with the money if you were the next $1,000,000 Pillsbury Bake-Off Winner!     

One lucky winner will be randomly selected in one week from today. Be sure to come back to see if YOU are the winner!

Official Rules

*Note: Comments need to be approved through WordPress. If you don’t see yours right away, don’t worry…I will get to it as soon as I can! Remember to leave a comment right here on the blog itself, not on one of the photos, or on our Facebook or Twitter pages. Thanks!

Have you ever wondered what $1,000,000 looks like?  It doesn’t always come in stacks of large bills, sometimes it’s a little sweeter…

Take a look at the delicious dessert above.  It recently earned the top spot and the million dollar prize at the 2012 Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest!

The winning recipe, Pumpkin Ravioli with Salted Caramel Whipped Cream, was created by the phenomenal Tina Verrelli.  She also just happens to be a member here on Better Recipes!

You may remember her from a couple of our previous contests.  Tina’s “La Taverna Tapas Burgers” won our Grill-Off Contest last summer and her recipe for “Peppermint Ganache Thumbprint Cookies” won the Peppermint Contest back in December.

I hope this motivates all of you to be a part of the weekly contests here on Better Recipes!  It’s a great way to get those creative juices flowing every week, create new recipes, and be a part of this award-winning cooking community!

I had the pleasure of congratulating Tina just moments after her big win at the Pillsbury Bake-Off.  Things just seem right in the world when amazing things happen to wonderful people.  Tina is so warm and generous with her effervescent personality, you can’t help but smile in her presence!

The question is…how do you take Pillsbury’s refrigerated dough and turn it into ravioli?  The winning recipe is not only easy to prepare, it’s a lot of fun!  These step-by-step photos break it down.

1.  Roll out the Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations into a  14 x 12 inch rectangle.

2.  Lightly score the dough halfway horizontally, about 7 inches up from the bottom.

3.  On the bottom half, score the dough into 12 squares, about 3 x 2 1/4 inch each.

4.  Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the filling into each square.

5.  Fold over the other half of the dough.  (See, it’s starting to look like ravioli!)

6.  Seal the ravioli squares.   I used the bottom of a wooden spoon to make a series of small indentations, but Tina shows a slightly different technique on the Pillsbury website.  Both work great!

7.  Check out those adorable ravioli desserts!

8.  Poke a hole in the top of each square.  This allows the steam to escape while the ravioli are cooking in the oven.

9.  Cut out each ravioli square and they are ready to bake!

The Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest is always magical, and this year was no exception!  For the first time ever, Martha Stewart took her show on the road and broadcast live from the Peabody Hotel in Orlando.  You can see the beautiful set, the anxious audience and the TV cameras ready to capture every moment.

Martha was an outstanding host and we all hope to see her and the doughboy reunite for the next contest in 2014!

Pumpkin Ravioli with Salted Caramel Whipped Cream  (click here to view and print recipe)

4 tablespoons LAND O LAKES Butter, melted

2 packages (3 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 LAND O LAKES Egg Yolk

1/2 teaspoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup sugar

5 tablespoons Pillsbury BEST All Purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/3 cup Fisher Chef’s Naturals Chopped Pecans, finely chopped

2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/8 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons Hershey’s caramel syrup

4 tablespoons McCormick Cinnamon Sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 375°F. Brush 2 large cookie sheets with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and pumpkin with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth. Add egg yolk, vanilla, sugar, 3 tablespoons of the flour and pumpkin pie spice; beat on low speed until blended. Reserve 4 teaspoons of the pecans; set aside. Stir remaining pecans into pumpkin mixture.

Lightly sprinkle work surface with 1 tablespoon of the flour. Unroll 1 can of dough on floured surface with 1 short side facing you. Press dough into 14×12-inch rectangle. With paring knife, lightly score the dough in half horizontally. Lightly score bottom half of dough into 12 squares (3×2 1/4-inch each). Spoon heaping tablespoon of the pumpkin filling onto center of each square. Gently lift and position unscored half of dough over filling. Starting at the top folded edge, press handle of wooden spoon firmly between mounds and along edges of pumpkin filling to seal. Using toothpick, poke small hole in top of each ravioli. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut between each ravioli; place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon flour, dough sheet and filling. Brush ravioli with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.

Bake 9 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat whipping cream and salt with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in 2 tablespoons of the caramel syrup until stiff peaks form. Transfer to serving bowl; cover and refrigerate.

Remove ravioli from oven. Sprinkle ravioli with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar; turn. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.

To serve, place 2 ravioli on each of 12 dessert plates. Drizzle each serving with scant teaspoon of the caramel syrup; sprinkle with reserved chopped pecans. With spoon, swirl remaining 1 tablespoon caramel syrup into bowl of whipped cream. Serve warm ravioli with whipped cream.

Nutritional Information:

1 Serving (1 Serving)Calories 380(Calories from Fat 220),Total Fat 25g(Saturated Fat 13g,Trans Fat 1/2g),Cholesterol 70mg;Sodium 440mg;Total Carbohydrate 35g(Dietary Fiber 1g,Sugars 16g),Protein 4g;Percent Daily Value*:Vitamin A 45.00%;Vitamin C 0.00%;Calcium 6.00%;Iron 8.00%;Exchanges:1 1/2 Starch;0 Fruit;1 Other Carbohydrate;0 Skim Milk;0 Low-Fat Milk;0 Milk;0 Vegetable;0 Very Lean Meat;0 Lean Meat;0 High-Fat Meat;4 1/2 Fat;Carbohydrate Choices:2;*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

After running 13.1 miles, a girl deserves a treat…right?   (Ok, so I realize that is just a way of justifying my insatiable sweet tooth.)  Nevertheless, when in New York the place to go for an indulgent treat is Milk Bar.

This retro-style childhood memory-inspired dessert haven is associated with David Chang’s famous restaurant Momofuku.

From cookies to milkshakes and even their legendary “Crack Pie,” this menu is pure fun.  I love the idea of their soft serve ice cream that tastes like cereal milk.

My sister ordered a slice of the “Crack Pie.” (A name that you can see is a registered trademark!)  Imagine a deliciously addictive oatmeal cookie crust  with a filling that tastes a bit like butterscotch or maybe browned butter.  She thoroughly enjoyed it, but luckily didn’t feel the need to check in to Promises in Malibu.

I was intrigued by the Pretzel Milkshake.  The sweet/salty combo is one of my favorites when it comes to dessert.  After chatting it up with the guy behind the counter he recommended that I add a little bit of chocolate syrup to the order and make it a chocolate-covered pretzel milkshake….DONE!

Yes, it was every bit as good as it sounds!

The store also sells mixes to recreate some of their cookies at home!  The next day my sister was going to a work event where she wanted to bring something yummy to share.  We decided it was the perfect opportunity to try a mix!

The most interesting one was the “Compost Cookie Mix.”  Imagine every cookie you have ever had, all in one!  There were chocolate and butterscotch chips, graham crackers, oatmeal, and coffee bits.  Then you crush up some potato chips and pretzels and toss them into the batter.  Amazing!

Everything comes in convenient little bags and the instructions are super easy to follow.  They even sold small bags of chips and pretzels at the Milk Bar, so we could walk home with all the ingredients on hand.

P.S.  Did anyone notice the cameo of my old 1977 KitchenAid Stand Mixer in the photo above?  It has found a new home in my sister’s New York City apartment.  My parents received this mixer as a wedding present, and it has lived in Chicago, LA, and now New York.  I actually took it as a carry-on one time when I went to visit my sister!  People looked at me funny and it was painfully heavy, but totally worth it!

Here is the recipe included in the Compost Cookie Mix.  The recipe can also be made from scratch (see recipe below).  This mix is available at Milk Bar locations or at Williams-Sonoma.

Compost Cookies (Mix)  (click here to view and print recipe) 

9 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 graham cracker packet

1 sugar packet

1 egg

1 cookie mix packet

1 compost packet

1 bag (individual serving size) crushed salted plain potato chips

1 bag (individual serving size) crushed mini pretzels

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place 1 Tablespoon of the butter in a small microwavable bowl and microwave on medium power until melted, about 20 seconds.  Let cool slightly.

Place the graham crackers in a large bowl, add the melted butter and mix, squeezing gently with your fingers, until small clusters form.  The mixture should hold its shape when squeezed in the palm of your hand.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the remaining 8 Tablespoons butter and the sugar packet, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.  Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the egg and beat on medium-low speed for 30 seconds.  Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is pale in color and almost doubled in volume, about 10 minutes.

Reduce the speed to medium-low, add the cookie mix and beat until the dough just comes together and the dry ingredients are incorporated, 45 seconds to 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the compost and the graham cracker crumbs and beat on low speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds.  Using the spatula, gently fold in the potato chips and pretzels until just incorporated.

Divide the dough into 9 equal balls and place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 4 inches apart.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 week.  (The cookies need to be chilled before baking so they will hold their shape.)

Position 1 rack in the upper third and 1 rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

Remove the plastic wrap from the baking sheets.  Bake the cookies until lightly browned on the edges but still slightly underdone in the center, 12 to 16 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and 180 degrees halfway through the baking time.  Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the cookies cool completely, about 15 minutes, before serving.  Makes 9 milk bar-style cookies.

Compost Cookies  (click here to view and print recipe)

2 sticks butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2⁄3 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed

2 Tbsp. glucose*

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup mini butterscotch chips

1/2 cup crushed graham crackers

1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

2 1/2 tsp. ground coffee

2 cups potato chips

1 cup mini pretzels

Directions

Combine the butter, sugars and glucose in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. (Do not walk away from the machine during this step, or you will risk overmixing the dough.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Still on low speed, add the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, graham crust, oats and coffee, and mix just until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add the potato chips and pretzels, and paddle, still on low speed, until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix or break too many of the pretzels or potato chips. (You deserve a pat on the back if one of your cookies bakes off with a whole pretzel standing up in the center.)

Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1⁄3-cup measure), portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature—they will not bake properly.

Heat the oven to 375°.

Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pans. Bake for 18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle and spread. After 18 minutes, they should be very faintly browned on the edges yet still bright yellow in the center. Give them an extra minute or so if that’s not the case.

Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or an airtight container for storage. At room temp, cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

* In a pinch, substitute 18 grams (1 tablespoon) corn syrup for the glucose. For the coffee grounds in this cookie, we tested the recipe with freshly roasted and ground artisanal coffee from Stumptown as well as with craptastic coffee grounds that you can find just about anywhere. We discovered that it doesn’t make a difference what kind you use; the cookie is delicious every time. Just make sure you don’t use instant coffee; it will dissolve in the baking process and ruin the cookies. And, above all else, never use wet, sogalicious grounds that have already brewed a pot of coffee. We use Cape Cod potato chips because they aren’t paper thin, so they don’t break down too much in the mixing process.