CHOCOLATE TOFFEE COOKIES

                                     

Heath is in the top five of my favorite candy bars because I do love toffee.  When I saw this cookie on the Smitten Kitchen blog I knew I would have to make it.  If you like all things chocolate this cookie is for you.  The outside is somewhat crispy and the inside is soft except for the bits of Heath and chopped walnuts.  I chopped both really fine and am loving every bite! I forced myself to eat half a cookie so I could show you in the picture the crisp outside and soft inside.  It's not one you can eat many of at one sitting, but when you do eat one (or two!) you will be so happy!!

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. table salt

1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used 3 bars of bittersweet and one of semisweet because that's what I had.)

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1-3/4 c packed brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 TB vanilla extract

5 -- 1.4 oz Heath bars, chopped (Basically 6.4 oz of Heath)

1 c. walnuts, toasted, chopped

Flakey sea salt for sprinkling, optional (I used Maldon sea salt)

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.  Take the top of the double boiler off the water and cool mixture to lukewarm.

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

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

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment or Silpat.  Scoop batter by spoonfuls onto sheets, spacing two inches apart.  Slight press them down a bit and sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt if using.  Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cooked are still soft to touch, about 10-12 minutes.  Cool on sheets.  (can be made 2 days ahead and stored airtight at room temperature.). 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:  Smitten Kitchen said she struggled a bit to scoop these cookies so she rolled the dough into a log 1.5" in diameter and chilled it.  When she was ready to bake the cookies, she cut the log into 1/2" slices.  The dough log can be stored in the freezer, wrapped in waxed paper and then two layers of saran wrap for up to a month, just baking the cookies off as you need.  Cookies baked straight from the freezer may need an addition minute or two in the oven, depending on their thickness.  

After reading her struggles, I simply chopped the Heath and walnuts really small so I didn't have trouble scooping them.  The idea of having a log in the freezer that can easily be baked any time is appealing though, so I might try it sometime.