The lull between Christmas and New Year’s Day is some kind of serious. My level of initiative, which is normally leaping off the charts, is unreasonably low this time of year, and my primary MO is to just chill. Honestly, it’s been really nice to let baking and writing and work sit on the back burner of my brain and let these days be whatever the end up being. In our house, that’s meant lots of pajama-wearing, some Christmas clean-up, and the continued over-consumption of sugar cookies and decaf coffee. My kids are loving lazy Mom mode, and, to be frank, I am too. It’s not forever, but it’s a good fit for these days.

With a new year decade just around the corner, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I want my story to read. I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions, but I do think this fresh page is a great time to re-evaluate goals, priorities, and desires. Who do I want to be? What do I need to make room for within my family and household? What needs to top my list on a day to day basis? 2019 was a stretching year for me. Career-wise, I stepped into some new things that were previously foreign. I tested the waters in some areas and am still learning to recover from the belly flops. At home, we did some stretching in the literal sense too. Baby number three (It’s a girl! Wait, no, It’s a Boy!) grew and arrived in 2019 and we all scooted closer to make room for the precious new life that was introduced to our world. My husband’s business shifted gears, we settled into a new home, and  life looks entirely different than it did this time last December. Growth, in every sense of the word, was all over our year, and while there were some pains in that growing I’m hoping that some of what we learned along the way had a chance to seep in.

I’m not sure what my word for 2020 is. I don’t yet have a clear picture of what I want life to look like, but I’m eager to bring some of that growth from 2019 along for the ride. In the meantime, thank you sweet readers for walking through this past year with my family. My hope is that, via stories and recipes, you found yourself well-fed this year. Maybe you welcomed new friends to your table or worked up the nerve to braid your first babka. Maybe you laughed on a day when you felt like crying or finally felt confident enough to whip an egg white. Whatever the case, I’m grateful for all of the emails and kind words from you all, because your pictures of cheesecakes and stories of successes feel like tiny victories for me. I’m happy we’ve shared cookies and pies and cocktails this year, and I’m eager for more in the coming months. It might all look a little different in 2020, but I think it’s still going to be sweet.

These white chocolate caramel pretzel cookies are delicious. I took my peanut butter caramel pretzel cookies and whizzed the recipe into something nut-free and extra-sweet and salty. These white chocolate caramel pretzel cookies are rich and chewy treats loaded with caramel goodness and just enough salt to offset all the sugar. They’re rather simple and I think you’ll find them to be a crowd pleaser. I know I did. Check out the instructions for the how-to on these white chocolate caramel pretzel cookies below, and if you get to try them, let me know what you think! Happy New Year, friends. 2020 is going to be a ball.

If you like these white chocolate caramel pretzel cookies you should try:

Molten Carrell Chocolate Cakes

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts

Peanut Butter Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Caramel Crumble Cake

White Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Cookies

These white chocolate caramel pretzel cookies are loaded with sweet and salty flavor as well as chewy and crunchy texture!

• Author: Kate Wood
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 24
• Category: Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (230 gm) unsalted butter
• ½ cup (100 gm) sugar
• ¾ cup (150 gm) brown sugar packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups (405 gm) all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup caramel baking bits, caramel chips, or diced caramels
• ¾ cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
• ¾ cup chopped salted pretzels  (OR chopped pecans- your choice!)
• Flaked salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Melt the butter over low heat on the stove, being sure to not let it boil. Pour the melted butter into a large bowl and stir in the sugar and brown sugar. Stir in the eggs and extract. Add the flour, soda, powder, and salt and fold the mixture together until combined. Add in the caramel, white chocolate, and either pretzels or pecans. Fold to combine. Use a medium cookie scoop to portion out 1-1/2 tablespoon sized rounds of dough. Roll them gently and space them out 2” apart on the baking sheets. Sprinkle with a bit of flaky sea salt if desired.  Bake in the preheated oven for 11-12 minutes or until the edges are set and the cookies are baked through. Allow to cool prior to enjoying!