Butterscotch-Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with Smoked Sea Salt

I've been really into smoked sea salt ever since I picked some up at the Spice and Tea Exchange in Rehoboth Beach. I've used int to make bruschetta, crostini, a margarita and today a cookie.

Smoke isn't a flavor you often associated with cookies, but burnt flavors certainly are, like caramel, for example. I thought the smoky flavor of the sea salt would go nicely with the butterscotch chips, making for an interesting variation of an oatmeal cookie. The base recipe comes from A Girl, Market, a Meal.

Butterscotch-Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with Smoked Sea Salt
Adapted from a recipe for Salted Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies by A Girl, a Market, a Meal

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
Smoked sea salt (may substitute regular flaky sea salt)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on low to combine, scrap down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on high for 5 minutes until the mixture is thoroughly combined and pale in color. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda to combine. Add the combined dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat on low until smooth. With a large spoon, stir in the oats, butterscotch chips and chocolate chips until evenly combined.

4. Measure out rounded tablespoonfuls of dough and place about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment or silicon baking mats. Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of smoked sea salt.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.