We invented this recipe together. Declan wanted cookies with Reese’s Pieces after viewing the motion picture  E.T. the Extra Terrestrial for the first time. That movie made we want some of the peanut butter candy, too and reminded me how sad and weird the story is. The kids barely made it through without crying when they thought E.T. was dead. But we all made it to the end when E.T. went back into outer space and lived happily ever after.

Adding semi-sweet chips and crushed salted pretzels was the next logical step (to me) and Ava agreed which is a good thing because we needed someone to actually mix and bake the cookies. Especially since Declan likes to talk about food and eat it without actually doing much or any of the work, at all.

Lately, that’s what we do: we talk a lot about cooking recipes and eating new foods. Although food and meals have sometimes been a discussion before, it never took up so much room in our lives. There were so many other things to occupy our thoughts and time. But cooking and baking are things we can actually do right now , not just dream about or think about the future. Whether we will be able to or not in a few days, in a few months. It’s hard when right now we can’t do so many of the things we have come to love.

Garbage Can Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen

1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup), softened

1/2 cup Crisco

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2  1/4 cups flour

1/3 cup Reese’s Pieces

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup broken pretzels

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a mixing bowl on a stand mixer, cream together butter, Crisco and both sugars. Add eggs and combine, then add vanilla.

Add baking soda and salt, mix well. Add the flour and mix until combined. Mix in the Reese’s Pieces, semi-sweet chocolate chips and pretzels by hand as the mixer may crush them.

Scoop out tablespoons of cookie dough onto lined cookie sheets (parchment or Silpat). Bake for 9-11 minutes until golden on the edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes on the pan before removing them to cool completely on a wire rack.

Store in an airtight container.