BOGART LOVES: Garbage Day

I made my first batch of garbage cookies in college. Always the avid baker, I tended to accumulate a variety of nuts, chocolate chips, flavorings and add-ins, which cluttered up my limited cupboard space. On one particular afternoon, I decided to clean out my pantry by throwing a bunch of ingredients into my basic chocolate chip cookie dough recipe (see below). Well, the results were some pretty decadent and flavorful blobs of sweetness. Dubbed "garbage cookies" by my Mom years ago, the name has stuck. What is great about this recipe, or lack-there-of, is that you can use anything you have lurking in your baking cupboard. Macadamia nuts, marshmallows, chocolate chips, instant coffee granules, coconut, peanuts, rolled oats, raisins, chopped pretzels or toffee bits, anything goes. The other day, I decided to make garbage bars and the results were equally sweet. There are countless ways to create your own version of these sinful treats. And don't be afraid to add a lot of stuff to your garbage dough, I often add 8 to 10 different ingredients when making mine. Just think of it as engaging in a little pantry cleaning. No trash bags required.

Basic Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (or starter dough for garbage bars or cookies)

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 bag bittersweet chocolate chips
garbage-style (optional): add any other ingredients lurking in your pantry

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk baking soda, salt and flour. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer) beat butter and sugars until smooth and well-combined. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until incorporated. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add dry ingredients, in two parts, and mix until dough forms. Add chocolate chips, and any other ingredients of your choosing, and gently mix until incorporated.

If making cookies:
Drop rounded spoonfuls onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Be sure to leave enough space in between each cookie, depending on the ingredients incorporated into the dough. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until tops of cookies just start to brown. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for approximately 15 minutes and then carefully transfer cookies to a baking rack with a spatula to finish cooling.

If making bars:
Evenly spread dough into a 9x13 inch greased and parchment-lined baking pan. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until the bars have browned on top to your liking. Be sure not to over-bake. Let bars cool completely before cutting.