Toffee Bits and Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
These chocolate chip cookies have homemade toffee bits and pretzels which blend well to satisfy both sweet and salty cravings.
For Christmas 2019, I was just going to share a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe which is familiar territory; everyone loves a good old chocolate chip cookie. But then some inspiration whispered to me the week before Christmas, that said that I should change things up a bit. I thought that wouldn’t it be great to include some salty pretzels and homemade toffee bits?
So for these cookies, you need to make your own toffee bits. You are probably more familiar with caramel than toffee. Caramel and toffee start off with the same sugar component which is heated to a particular temperature. But they are different in textures. Caramel is chewy and gummy and when you bite into it, it leads to a long string-like consistency, similar to that of melted cheese. In the candy world, toffee, on the other hand, is more of a brittle and is usually paired with nuts. Caramel is made by heating to a lower temperature to make it softer, while toffee is at a higher temperature which gives it a crunchy texture. So my advice when making toffee, is that you need a candy thermometer. If you decide that you do not want to make your own toffee bits, then you can just leave this step out, and replace the amount with chocolate chips or chopped caramel candy bars (like snickers).
Tips For Making These Cookies:
For the toffee bits, I used Honestly Yummy’s recipe which I found to be very easy to follow. The remainder of the recipe can be done while you wait for the toffee to set.
This recipe can use chocolate chips only if you prefer. Or even chocolate chips, chunks and pretzels. The main thing here is for you to add about 2 cups of mix-ins.
Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. This helps all ingredients to combine beautifully, and ensures that the cookies spread in the right way.
Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level off, instead of dipping directly into the flour itself. This allows for a tender cookie, instead of dense.
Use both granulated and brown sugar. This one is a MUST! It has a huge impact on whether your cookies will be too thin or too thick.
Chill the cookie dough for about 1 hour or even overnight. This helps to maintain the shape of the cookies while they bake.
Bake on the centre rack of your oven.
Rotate your pan halfway through baking.
Let your cookies cool in the pan after you remove them from the oven. They will continue to set as they cool.
Add that pinch of flaked sea salt at the end of baking! It will take these cookies from amateur to exceptional in no time.
Yield: about 36 cookies
ingredients
For the toffee bits:
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon water
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cookies:
2 1/4 cups spooned flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup room temperature butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
Flaked sea salt (optional)
Mix Ins:
1 cup chocolate chunks or chips
1/3 cups mini chocolate chips-you can replace this with regular ones, but I like how the minis ensure we have chocolate right through the cookies.
1/2 cup chopped pretzels
1/4 cup toffee bits
Method
Make the toffee bits: Line a 9 inch square or round pan. Heat the water, sugar and butter on low heat, stirring until dissolved. Place your candy thermometer in the mixture and continue heating on low until the thermometer reads 300 degF. While this heats, measure your baking soda and vanilla and have them close by. Remove from heat immediately after reaching 300 degF, and add the baking soda and vanilla, and stir until just combined- do not stir vigorously. Quickly add to your prepared pan and allow to cool. You will use about half of this. The rest can be stored in the fridge and used in milkshakes, ice cream etc.
Cookies Time!!! Combine the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. Using your mixer, cream the butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time and continue beating until fluffy. Add the vanilla and combine. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in the mix-ins. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour, or overnight. Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto a cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. If you chill the dough overnight, then leave them out of the fridge for about 10 minutes before making the cookies.
Bake at 350 deg F for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway. Once the edges are slightly browned, remove from the oven, sprinkle with flakes salt, and allow to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to allow to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container, for up to 1 week.
