Chocolate Toffee Cookies

These are the kind of perfect-brownie-toffee-sticky-comfort-hoard-them-drool-yummyumyum cookies everyone should know about. In fact, I think everyone does know about them. I didn't until recently, but that was quickly remedied.

On December 1 I went to a cookie exchange where I didn't know anyone but the hostess, so it was a chance for lots of meeting and measuring up. I admit, the spread impressed me and exceeded my expectations. These cookies are the perfect example.

Lara was the first woman I met at the exchange. She couldn't stay long so we got right to it. She's a food blogger, I'm a food blogger. Exchange URLs. Her intended recipe didn't work out (been there a million times), so she had to scramble for something good but reliable for the exchange. And of course they were my favorite treat in the massive spread. So favorite, that while I divvied up the rest of my haul for give-away treat boxes, I snuck all of these into the back of my freezer and ate them slowly over the month. And no one else got a crumb.

THAT is how I feel about these cookies.

Also, Lara's the one that told me how to do printable recipes. I think we can all thank her for that!

Chocolate Toffee Cookies
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups (packed) brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 1.4-ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (such as Heath), coarsely chopped
1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool mixture to lukewarm.

2. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla.

3. Stir in flour mixture, then toffee and nuts. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Drop batter by spoonfuls onto sheets, spacing two inches apart. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt, if you’re using it. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.) Makes about 4 1/2 dozen

5. I know that it will be impossible to let them cool completely, but they really taste a lot better cool, as they continue baking once they come out of the oven.

Slice and bake option: After struggling a bit to scoop these cookies, I rolled the dough into a log 1.5 inches in diameter and chilled it. When I was ready to bake the cookies, I cut it into 1/2-inch slices. You can store the dough log in the freezer, wrapped in waxed paper and then two layers of plastic wrap for up to a month, just baking the cookies off as you need. Cookies baked straight from the freezer may need an additional minute or two in the oven, depending on their thickness.

Recipe from Lara at Recipe Shoebox, who got it from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted it from Bon Apetit. Like I said, these cookies get around.

Click here for printable recipe