Last week, a male reader questioned a slang word in one of my posts – “mansplaining.” He hadn’t heard the term.  Merriam-Webster describes mansplaining as, “what occurs when a man talks condescendingly to someone (especially a woman) about something he has incomplete knowledge of, with the mistaken assumption that he knows more about it than the person he’s talking to does.”

Some men consider the term to be a sexist Feminist word describing a non-existent phenomenon.  I am here to assure my male readers that mansplaining exists.  I’m not asserting that women don’t do something similar to men or that men and women don’t do it to each other – but mansplaining is a specific type of behavior perpetrated by men that, at one time or another, most women have experienced.

The larger category of behavior would be categorized (for men and women) as “talking out of your ass.” Example:  A childless woman, who has changed exactly 3 diapers in her life, telling a parent of 5 children the best way to change a diaper = talking out of her ass.  Within the larger “talking out of your ass” category is the subset “Mansplaining.”  It’s real, it happens…trust me on this.  My ultimate mansplaining story:

A male friend tried to “educate” me on what it’s like to have a menstrual cycle. Yep – I. Swear. To. God.  Kudos to him for reading one article about the female body.  High five for learning words like “follicular phase” and “luteal phase,”  however,  knowing the words doesn’t mean he will ever understand what it’s actually like to have a cycle until he’s experienced – oh, I dunno, 12 a year for 30+ years.

I’d never be so bold as to tell him what it’s like to have an erection – no matter how many articles I’ve read or how close I’ve…ehem… been to the experience.

Not all men mansplain.  How do you know if you’re a mansplainer? If a woman responds to your explanation with, “You DO realized I have a degree in (fill in subject here)” [and you don’t] or “Were you aware (fill in subject here) has been my CAREER for the past 10 years” [and it’s not your career] or even a “I’m familiar with (fill in subject here) since I’ve been doing it since I was 12.” [and you’ve only read about doing it], then…you are a mansplainer.  But there’s hope – the first step is admitting it.

This recipe is an ode to non- or recovering mansplainers in my life.  You deserve a cookie – a rock-star of a cookie like these compost cookies, inspired by Momofuku’s Compost Cookies.

Julie's Compost Cookies

• Servings: 2 Dozen Cookies
• Print

All my favorite cookie flavors – plus some surprises – packed into this version of Momofuku’s famous cookie.

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• ½ cup toffee bits
• ½ cup pecans, chopped
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• ⅓ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 ½ teaspoons ground coffee (not instant)
• 2 cups kettle potato chips
• 1 cup mini pretzels, roughly broken, plus more for the tops of the cookies
• 4 Graham crackers, broken into ½-inch pieces

Directions

1. Combine the 2 sticks unsalted butter, sugars and corn syrup in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes.
2. While butter mixture is creaming, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Adjust the speed to low and add the flour mixture. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 45 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
4. Add the chocolate chips, toffee bits, pecans, shredded coconut, oats and coffee, and mix just until incorporated, about 15-20 seconds.
5. Using your hands, gently knead in the potato chips, pretzels, and graham crackers. It’s okay to break up the chips a little. It will help with shaping.
6. Using a scant ¼ cup measuring cup, portion out the dough into 50-55 grams each and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan (Silpat does not work for these cookies). Shape dough into a biscuit shape and press a piece of pretzel into the top.
7. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least an hour and up to overnight.
8. Heat the oven to 350° F. Arrange the chilled dough a 3 inches apart on parchment. Bake 16-18 minutes, or until they are browned on the edges but still look raw in the middle. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or an airtight container for storage.