Toffee Chocolate Chip Drop CookiesMakes about 30 (2 1/2 to 2 3/4 inch cookies) cookies.Up until the 1990s, if you wanted to add toffee pieces to cookies, you had to buy toffee candy and chop it up yourself. Now, a manufacturer sells bags of small bits. Though it might seem like gilding the lily, I think the toffee bits are particularly good folded into chocolate chip cookies. They add a hint of butterscotch flavor, plus a slight crunch and chew. In this recipe, they also make the dough more spreadable, which contributes to the appealing tender-crispness of these cookies. Even hard-core fans of traditional chocolate chip cookies have found this variation difficult to resist. 2 cups all-purpose white flour Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened 21/2 tablespoons corn oil or other flavorless vegetable 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar 1 large egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 11/2 cups (9 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels 1/2 cup Heath bar or other milk chocolate toffee bitPreheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease several baking sheets or coat with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on low, then medium, speed, beat together the butter, oil, and brown sugars until well blended and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well blended. Beat or stir in the flour mixture until evenly incorporated. Stir in the chocolate morsels and toffee bits until evenly incorporated. Drop the dough onto the baking sheets using 1/8-cup measure or coffee scoop, spacing about 2 1/2 inches apart; keep the portions as round as possible. With oiled fingertips, pat down the cookies slightly. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, in the upper third of the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until tinged with brown, slightly darker at the edges, and almost firm when pressed in the centers. Reverse the sheet from front to back halfway through baking to ensure even browning. Transfer the sheet to a wire rack and let stand until the cookies firm up slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to wire racks. Let stand until completely cooled. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 6 weeks.Copyright 2001 Nancy Baggett. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Company. Excerpted from The All-American Cookie Book by Nancy Baggett All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
