This recipe was something I came up with after hearing about a recipe that used crushed fortune cookies in the batter as an add in like chocolate chips in chocolate chip cookies. I thought about all the items that get thrown out in our house because they go stale (which happens pretty often in our humid climate). Everything from the last few Graham Crackers to the last of the animal crackers that got shoved to the back of the pantry. Adding these stale items to the cookies works great, you can’t tell they were stale and they get used up instead of being thrown away. I usually clean out the pantry before my bigger shopping trips about twice a month. And these cookies have become a regular at our house. You can use any “sweeter” stale items such as graham crackers, animal crackers, cereal, vanilla wafers, granola, and others. You just need about 1 cup total crushed. I’ve also mixed items like vanilla wafers and graham crackers and the cookies were just as good.

Pantry Cleanout Cookies
1/2 C. Shortening
1/2 C. butter or margerine
1/2 C. Granulated Sugar (if you are using a sugary cereal or other sugary item you might want to cut this down to 1/3 C.)
1 C. packed Brown Sugar
1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 C. Flour
1 C. crushed stale (but not expired) cookies, graham crackers or cereal
1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, mint chips or white chocolate chips, nuts, coconut or other *Optional

In a large mixing bowl beat the shortening and butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, brown sugar, and baking soda. Beat mixture till combined.

Beat in the eggs and vanilla till combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can. Stir in the remaining flour with a spoon. Add crushed items and chips.

Drop by teaspoons 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven 8-10 minutes. Let cool on wire rack.
Yields 60 cookies

You can be creative with your add in combinations, but here are a few of our favorites:
Animal Crackers and Butterscotch chips
Graham Crackers with coconut flakes
Chocolate animal crackers with mint chips
Kix with semi-sweet chocolate chips
Vanilla wafers with white chocolate chips and cashews
Frosted Flakes with butterscotch chips
Vanilla Granola with coconut flakes

If you try these out, I’d love to hear what combination you used and how you liked it!