Kitchen Sink Cookies (Panera Copycat)

Recipe found here

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (or 2 sticks or 16 tbsp. or 8 oz.) unsalted butter, browned
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 and 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. sea sat + more for sprinkling
• 3/4 cup broken pretzels + more for top
• 1 and 1/2 cups caramel bits (I used Kraft caramel bits) + more for top
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips + more for top

Preparation:

• Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
• To brown the butter: In a (preferably light colored) saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, whisking as it melts, foams, bubbles, and eventually little brown bits form and it turns amber. Immediately pour into a large, heatproof, bowl, and use a spatula to scrape all the little brown bits into the bowl. I recommend letting the browned butter cool a bit so it doesn't melt the chocolate chips :)
• Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the vanilla and sugars into the butter for a couple minutes, until it lightens a bit.
• Beat in eggs for about 30 seconds.
• Add the baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, and about a third of the flour. Mix slowly, add another third of flour, mix, and add the last of the flour until just combined. 
• Stir in the pretzels, caramel bits, and chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
• Scoop out very large balls of dough (at least 1/4 cup, but could be bigger, up to 1/2 cup size) and place on prepared baking sheet, leaving plenty of space in between (will need to do multiple batches.) Add more broken pretzel pieces, caramel bits, and chocolate chips to the tops of the dough balls to preference. Sprinkle with sea salt.
• Bake 12-14 minutes (this will vary, though, according to the size of your cookies), until golden around the edges. Remove and allow to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes. Then, transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Hot Fudge Sauce

• original recipe found here
• 
  
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup heavy cream, half and half or whole milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In a 2 quart saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa and milk, stirring with a whisk until completely combined and smooth. 
2. Turn heat on stove to medium and stirring occasionally, bring to a boil. 
3. Stir in butter and continue to boil until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. 
4. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and salt. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving over ice cream. Store in container in the refrigerator. To reheat, microwave for 30 seconds at a time until warm.

Nacho Cheese Sauce

Original recipe found here

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 8oz block sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 
  

1. Melt the butter in a medium size skillet over medium heat.
2. Once the butter is melted add the flour.
3. Whisk until it combines into a smooth blond paste and starts to bubble around the edges.
4. Add the milk to the skillet and continue whisking.
5. Once the milk is incorporated, raise the heat to high and bring to a boil.
6. Once the milk has reached a boil, quickly lower the heat and reduce to a simmer. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly.
7. Add the cayenne pepper and salt and whisk to combine.
8. Turn off the heat, and remove the skillet from the stove**. Add the cheese and gently stir, allowing the cheese to melt.
9. When the cheese is completely melted and the mixture smooth in consistency, the nacho cheese sauce is ready to serve. Enjoy immediately, as the sauce will get firm as it sits.