Butterscotch-Pretzel Cookies

I keep having occasions to make decadent treats and this time I thought I'd do a little bit of experimentation.  I was able to make these entirely with stuff I had hanging around the kitchen already, which to me is a great feeling!  I knew I didn't have any chocolate chips, only butterscotch chips and I found a box of pudding and thought I would dig for a cookie recipe that used pudding.  I found a few and created my own from them.  The pretzels are a nice touch.  These cookies are fudgy and sweet with a little bit of a salty crunch thrown in.  Good stuff.  The base cookie is pretty versatile.  Imagine the possiblities just by changing the flavor of pudding used!

Butterscotch-Pretzel Cookies (makes 30)
1 cup unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbls vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 oz. box instant chocolate fudge pudding mix
12 oz. bag of butterscotch chips
+/- 1/2 cup salted pretzel sticks broken into small pieces

1. Cream butter and sugars until fluffy.
2. Add eggs and vanilla, blend until smooth.
3. Add in dry ingredients and blend until combined.
4. Mix in butterscotch chips.
5. Cover dough and chill overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Roughly add pretzels to dough - it's a little rough, so just make sure as you spoon the cookie dough that some of the pretzels end up mixed into the cookie balls.
8. Spoon dough onto parchment-covered cookie sheets.  I used my ice cream scoop, so the balls were probably about 1-1/2" around.
9. Bake for about 14 minutes, until cookies are set and slightly firm.