A Really Bad Idea

WARNING: If, like me, you are prone to becoming obsessed with a certain food and wanting to eat nothing but that food for many days on end, then this recipe is probably a very, very bad idea for you. Because really, it has been quite a while since I've come across something so addictive. It will dominate your thoughts and appetite until the only evidence of it having existed at all is a smattering of crumbs. And there you'll stand, alone at the counter twinged with sadness, wondering where it all went and kind of not remembering that you are the one who ate it all. I give you Cookie Brittle.

Oh, you heard me right. It's cookie. It's brittle. It's crunchy and sweet and a little bit salty with bits of chocolate and toasty nuts. It's basically an entire pan of the crisp, brown-buttery, sugary edges of the very best chocolate chip cookie, aka The Best Part. I like cutting to the chase. I don't have a lotta time to spare these days. And I certainly don't have time to deal with Oprah-esque, Big Life Questions, like, was I really, truly living before I ate cookie brittle? I can't be sure.

This recipe comes from a really charming cookbook called The American Country Inn Bed and Breakfast Cookbook, a collection of recipes from little B&Bs all across the country, organized by state. It's actually a really fun read, with descriptions of each place followed by a few of the inns' favorite recipes, and you really get an idea of the spirit of each place by the kinds of foods they offer to their guests. In the case of Cookie Brittle, our enabler/dealer is a someone named Kris associated with the Wine and Roses Country Inn in Lodi, California. And I am grateful to him/her for offering this recipe (even though the original calls for margarine). Because now I don't have to travel all the way to Lodi to enjoy this cookie brittle--I can just make a batch of my own and eat the whole thing in the comfort of my dark closet right here at home.

You will be thrilled to learn that this gem of recipe comes together in minutes in a single bowl with a wooden spoon. Nudge it onto a sheet pan, bang it into the oven for a short bake and chain yourself to a large piece of furniture while you wait for it to cool completely (the magic is in the cooling so the brittle crisps evenly). It's the perfect cookie recipe for lazy bakers. Broken up into cronch-y, no-napkin-required hunks and kept in a container on the counter, conditions are perfect for you to have absolutely no self-control while walking through your kitchen. I repeat, trying this recipe is a really bad idea.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle

Adapted from The American Country Inn Bed and Breakfast Cookbook, Vol. 2

Try a variety of chip and nut combinations in the mix--I love bittersweet chocolate chips and cashews, but I'm thinking throwing a few butterscotch chips or shredded coconut into the mix would also be fabulous.1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup unsalted roasted cashews 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (60% cacao--I like Ghiradelli)Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and set a rack to the center position. Pour the melted butter into a large bowl, and stir in the vanilla. With a wooden spoon (or your hands, if your prefer), add the sugar, salt and flour and mix to combine--the mixture will be somewhat crumbly, like a moist pie dough. Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips. Press the mixture in a thin, even layer onto an ungreased cookie sheet (use the chocolate chips as your guide--try to get them in as close to a single layer as possible throughout the dough, and you'll have the right thickness). You may not fill the entire sheet with the dough--that's okay.

Bake for 23-25 minutes, until light golden brown (the edges will be a bit darker than the center). Let cool completely before breaking into whatever sized pieces you desire. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.