In the Chips Cookies: Toffee, Butterscotch and Chocolate

This is another recipe that I found recently in a cookbook of slice and bake refrigerator cookies. They are great for a number of reasons: you can make the dough ahead and bake them when you want to. It makes two logs of dough so you can share them with others. They use a couple of different types of chips, so it’s a good recipe from cleaning out the cupboard.

The recipe calls for 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips, 1 cup butterscotch chips and 4 ounces (about 2/3 cup) of toffee bits. I had all of those ingredients, perhaps not in the exact perfect quantities, but it all works out ok. I used instant espresso powder rather than instant coffee, as that’s what I have around. I use a little less than a teaspoon as it is much stronger.

This dough is very sticky, even after overnight refrigeration. I think the dissolved coffee in the dough makes the dough extra wet and sticky. The dough may look a little curdled after adding the coffee, but it does come together. The cookies bake up puffy and cakey, which is very unusual for a refrigerator cookie, which is typically more shortbread-like. I baked one log in my oven and one at my cousin’s house where I was visiting. They turned out about the same, despite being different sized ovens and using different pans. I don’t often have time to experiment when baking, but it’s fun the little I can do. These cookies are soft and decadent, and the combination of flavors is a winner.

In the Chips Cookies: Toffee, Butterscotch and Chocolate

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon instant coffee

1 tablespoon water

¾ cup butter, room temperature

¼ cup sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

2/3 cup toffee bits

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the instant coffee in the water. In a large mixer bowl, bear the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and dissolved coffee and mix on medium to incorporate. With the mixer running on low, add the flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Add the chocolate and butterscotch chips and the toffee bits and stir on low to distribute throughout the dough.

Divide the dough into halves. Shape each half into a log, about 11 inches long. Wrap the dough logs in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least three hours, or overnight. You can also wrap the dough in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months. If baking from frozen, allow the dough to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

Unwrap the dough and slice into ½” slices. Place on the prepared baking sheets. If the cookie is misshaped, press the dough into a rounder shape.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden. Allow to cool on the baking pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Recipe from Slice & Bake Cookies by Elinor Klivans