Mookies: The Hybrid Sweet Treat That's Only Limited To Your Imagination

The world of baking is rife with hybrid treats, from the outrageously decadent cronut (croissant-doughnut) to the absolutely adorable scruffin (scone muffin). But there's a new and delightful hybrid creation you need to get acquainted with ASAP. Meet the mookie, a muffin-top cookie that brings the textural experience of your dreams. 

Making the most of an overstocked pantry and your oversized cookie cravings, the mookie is the sweetest way for you to use up leftover baking ingredients. While the taste mimics that of a traditional kitchen sink cookie or compost cookie bars, the texture is that of a pure fluffy muffin top, bringing a bit of cakiness to your cookie. Cutting through this cakey goodness are pockets of delightful crunch — a byproduct of several crackling mix-ins. Basically, you can treat your mookie like a sweet take on the casserole. So how do you go about making your own version of the mookie? And what crunchy mix-ins are fair game? 

For your mookie base, fluffiness is the name of the game. Look for recipes that include baking powder, which causes lofty lift, and use the creaming method for the butter and sugar. Why the creaming method? When you continuously beat softened butter and sugar together, you're adding precious air bubbles to the dough, which will help make a fluffier cookie.

So what are the limits to your add-ins? That's up to individual taste. Leftover candy, nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate are some traditional choices, but don't be afraid to add some of your remnant cereal or granola to the mix. Go even bigger, and stir in some chopped Pocky sticks, instant coffee, or mix in some tea leaves from a forgotten sachet. 

Or, you can turn to your savory snack drawer. Potato chip crumbs, pretzel stick shards, and even ground crackers are all welcome here. For the truly adventurous, you can add a bit of ground-up pork rinds for a rich counterbalance to some of your sweeter ingredients. This porky addition works particularly well with peanut butter, by the way. The main rule of thumb to consider is to keep the number of dense mix-ins (i.e. nuts, chocolate, dried fruit) to about 1.5 cups and the light mix-ins (cereal, potato chips, cracker crumbs) to 3.5 cups. Other than that, the mookie is beholden only to the baker's cravings.