Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cookies

In 'Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey' by Jill O'Conner

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Yields: 4 to 5 dozen

Ingredients

• 3  cups walnut halves or 3  cups pecan halves
• 2  cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2  cups  firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2  cups sugar
• 4  large eggs
• 4  teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4  cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1  tablespoon baking soda
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 4  cups  Rice Krispies or 4  cups  Special K cereal
• 2  cups sweetened flaked coconut
• 4  cups old fashioned oats
• 3  cups  semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Position oven rack in the middle of oven; preheat to 350°.
2. Place the walnut halves on a baking sheet and toast, stirring occasionally, until browned and fragrant, 6-10 minutes; transfer to a plate and let cool completely.
3. In a big bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Beat in the vanilla.
6. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt onto a piece of waxed paper; beat into the butter mixture to form a soft dough.
7. In another large bowl, toss together the toasted nuts, rice cereal, coconut, oats, and chocolate chips.
8. Use a large wooden spoon to stir all the dry ingredients into the soft dough.
9. Don't worry about incorporating all these ingredients into the dough--it just takes a little patience, a sturdy wooden spoon, and a strong arm.
10. Scoop the dough into 1/4-cup balls (can use a 2-oz. ice cream scoop); place the cookie dough balls on parchment paper-lined baking sheets at least 2 inches apart.
11. Flatten each dough ball slightly with two wet fingers to keep the cookies from puffing up too much as they bake.
12. Bake until the edges of the cookie are light brown and crisp but the centers of the cookie are still soft and a little puffy, 12-15 minutes.
13. Let the cookies cool slightly on the baking sheet before removing them with a spatula to a wire rack to finish cooling.