And I feel almost the same, but not quite, about salty sweet treats.  When salted caramel burst onto the food scene a few years back, I couldn’t get enough. I still can’t, but my brain has adjusted a little more. Back in those days, it was hard to find salted caramel anything. Now you can’t turn around without it smacking you in the face with its coy deliciousness.

Now, today’s cookies are not salted caramel. But you can get excited anyway! In honor of the Super Bowl, I decided to make a cookie that would please salt and sugar cravers alike. So instead of the usual chocolate chips or what-have-you, these cookies are filled with potato chips, pretzels, and peanut butter M & Ms!

As a die-hard sugar craver whose blood pressure is pretty dang low, I don’t gravitate naturally toward salt. In fact, my doctor has told me to put salt on everything, even my cereal (gross), to bring up my blood pressure. I don’t want to. Salt is not my thing. But when it’s paired with sugar, it suddenly becomes irresistible. So you can imagine what these cookies did to me.

If you’ve ever had a chocolate-dipped potato chip or pretzel, just add a soft, thick cookie to the equation. And the M & Ms, of course. That should give you some idea of what these babies can do.

Now, you can’t be impatient when you’re making these cookies. You have to let the dough chill overnight. Don’t worry: the potato chips and pretzels will bake up just fine. You want mounds of dough pillowing your mix-ins, not a flat pancake of cookie. It’s worth the wait!

This Sunday, I’ll be ignoring the game (see Wednesday’s post if you wanna know why) while I focus on game-day food. But when the game’s over and my kids are in bed, I’m heading to my own bed with these cookies. Sounds like the perfect ending to another Sunday!

As in, your limbs just get heavier. You’re exhausted. You think about people who sleep later in the morning and you feel nothing but intense envy.

It’s the beginning of the school year. I’ll adjust. In the meantime, when I finally drop into bed, I’m sleeping very well. And I’m also rediscovering the joy of candy to keep me going during those conscious hours!

Nothing beats salty and sweet, especially if peanut butter cups are involved. And those adorable Reese’s miniature Oreos. I love miniature Oreos. So tiny! So cute! So pop-into-your-mouth efficient!

These take about ten minutes to make, start to finish. And the only thing you have to do is be patient enough to wait out the cooling period. Because sticking a piping-hot piece of chocolate into your mouth is not a good idea. I am the voice of experience!

If you’re into gift-giving, you can also wrap these up in some kind of adorable way (sorry, I’m not too crafty) and give them to people you like, or to people you’re trying to convince that you like. Either way!

There’s very little time in the day, but you can still be classy and make deliciousness! Get cracking!

Ingredients:

• 1 package Reese’s miniature PB cups, unwrapped
• 1 package Reese’s mini Oreos (limited edition)
• 1 bag square pretzels

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Place a peanut butter cup upside-down on top of each pretzel. Place the pretzels in the oven for 2-3 minutes.

Remove the pretzels from the oven and, working quickly, press a mini Reese’s Oreo gently but firmly into the top of the peanut butter cup.

Cool the pretzels until set. These can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.