Family Favorite: Crunchy Jumble Cookies

This is the second "must have" cookie recipe for our tree trimming night. I got the recipe when I was still a probationary teacher from my mentor, Ellen M.  About 14 years later Ellen was my daughter's news writing adviser. 


Here's today's cast--pretty standard recipe for a chocolate chip cookie, but there's a bit of a twist.


Cream the butter and sugar.


Add the eggs and vanilla (I always double the recipe, by the way).


The flour, baking soda and salt are sifted together and added to the mixture.


Chocolate chips! I always stir them in a bit before I add the Rice Krispies because I want the cereal to stay as crunchy and whole as possible.


Lots of crispy goodness.


And there we go.


And here's the twist--instead of scooping dough balls onto the ungreased cookie sheets and letting them spread in the oven, you pat them down as flat as you can. I start of with my fingertips and then use the side or heel of my hand if it's a bit sticky.


Basically you want to get them down to the height of the chocolate chip. Clean your fingers now and again to make it easier to do this part.


Though the dough is flattened, there will be a bit more spreading in the oven. Not a lot but give them some air! Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or till golden.

Now this is super-important: you must remove the cookies to a rack immediately. If they start crisping up, you won't be able to get them off the sheet without breaking them. A large, flexible spatula with a very thin blade is really helpful here.


Cool them completely and then pack in an airtight container. I personally like a tall, square container that is just big enough so you can stack the cookies one on top of the other. You can fit more in and there's less chance of breakage.


I seem to have a problem making these cookies small. They're uniform in size but that size is LARGE! My family does not have a problem with this--these cookies are wonderfully crisp, crunchy and chocolatey! They are such a favorite that my family would really like to have them more than once a year. I think that's what makes them extra-special.

Here's the recipe:





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