Day 7: Butter Toffee Cookies
December 19, 2017 by Nicole Collins
It's Day 7: Butter Toffee Cookies!
Ok, so things have been going a little too smoothly with our cookie challenge so far, so it's time for one of the “real talk” confessions that I'm sure you all love so much.
This recipe is in no way what I intended to make when I set out on this particular journey. It was actually supposed to be an Apple Toffee Cookie.
But despite the apple elements I added to this cookie, calling it an apple cookie would be an epic fail. It really doesn't taste like apple at all.
However, though the end result is not what I was originally going for, this cookie turned out 100000 times more amazing than I ever expected it to be. So, the apple elements that I added ended up becoming secret ingredients.
Don't you love it when you get to make lemonade out of lemons?!?!
These cookies are so soft, and buttery, and moist, and abso-friggin-lutely incredible!
The cookie dough starts with a simple buttery dough base with some cornstarch added to help keep them nice and soft. Then, we add what will become our secret ingredient: freeze dried apple.
The freeze dried apple gets run through a food processor until it turns in to a powder. It should have the consistency of powdered sugar. My original intention was for the apple to add some apple flavor without making the dough too wet like fresh apple would do. But, what it did was add an extra softening element to the cookies that I never would've expected. And, if I try really hard, I can taste the faintest hint of apple.
The toffee bits that we add to the dough are just an added bonus. And toffee is pretty much just butter and brown sugar, so there's another nice buttery element to these cookies. I chose to use just toffee bits, but I know the chocolate covered toffee bits would be just as amazing in these!
These cookies also have an optional glaze. Honestly, they're perfect with or without the glaze. It's just a simple mix of apple cider and powdered sugar. So, if you want to highlight the subtle apple flavor just a little more, use the glaze. If you don't want to spend the extra few minutes of effort...don't! The cookies are seriously amazing enough on their own.
This was one of the cookies that lasted the shortest amount of time in my office. They were a huge hit!!
Here's a reminder of some of the other cookies that my coworkers approved:
Day 6: Cookies and Cream Bark
Day 5: Cookie Butter Cookies
Day 3: Vanilla Chai Shortbread
Day 2: Samoa S'mores
Day 1: Brownie Biscotti
Alright guys, make sure you park yourselves in front of a big plate of these cookies. And, we'll be back for more tomorrow.
Let's bake!
Butter Toffee Cookies
Serves: 48 cookies Print
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cornstarch
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cups brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 bag freeze dried apples (1.2 oz bag)
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup toffee bits
¼ cup powdered sugar, optional
1 tbsp apple cider, optional
Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch with a fork to incorporate the ingredients.
In a small food processor or personal blender, grind freeze dried apples until they become a powder. In a large bowl, cream the butter, both sugars, apple powder, and vanilla with a hand mixer until combined and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after adding each until smooth and fully combined.
Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix by hand with a long handled spoon until combined. Repeat until all of the dry mix has been used and the flour mix is fully incorporated. Add in the toffee bits, and mix just until combined. Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 mins.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a large, ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough in rounded 1 tbsp portions spaced roughly 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 mins until the top and edges just start to turn golden brown. Remove from oven, and place on a cooling rack or foil lined table to cool.
If desired, glaze the cookies. Mix powdered sugar and apple cider in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle on top of cookies, and let dry.
Recipe notes:
*These cookies are amazing with or without the glaze. It's your choice!
*The ground freeze dried apples may seem like an odd ingredient, but they add a moistness to the cookie without an overpowering flavor. The apple cider glaze helps to bring out the apple notes, just a touch.
*I like to mix cookies by hand. It's how I've always done it. Call it kitchen superstition. Feel free to use a stand mixer to mix up these cookies or to use the hand mixer up until the point of adding in the toffee bits.
*It's tempting not to chill the dough, but it really does help keep the cookies from spreading like crazy. Use that time to wash your dishes and preheat the oven. 30 minutes is nothing!
*This recipe calls for toffee bits, not chocolate covered toffee bits (like Heath bits). I'm sure the chocolate covered ones would be amazing in these though!
