Giant Chocolate Toffee Cookies

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned the blog Bitchin Kitchin by Ellie in NJ.  Ellie is a true foodie and her wonderful blog is full of savory and sweet selections, complete with lots of great photos that walk you through her recipes.  If you get a chance, you must check out her cupcakes (so many tempting flavor combinations). It's been a very hectic month in the ButterYum household, so I chose a simple recipe to share with you today - Giant Chocolate Toffee Cookies.  And yes, Giant is an accurate description as each cookie measure about 4-inches in diameter.  These cookies are a bit unusual - the recipe calls for only 1/2 cup flour, but an entire pound of chocolate, 4 large eggs, and 1 3/4 cup brown sugar.  They bake up big and heavy, but with a meringue-like quality to them - crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside.

My Notes:  The cookie batter is a snap to make, but it has to chill for 45 minutes before baking.  I used a #20 cookie scoop to portion out the dough, which yielded exactly 24 large cookies,  I baked only 6 cookies per sheet pan, chilling the dough between batches.  Much like dipping ice cream, rinsing the scoop with hot water every couple of dips allowed the hard, cold dough to release from the scoop easily.  Plan to use several sheet pans as the cookies need to cool completely before being moved.  Also, I see no reason why you couldn't make them smaller if you wanted to - simply adjust the baking time. These fantastic cookie are even better a day or two after they're baked.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• #20 scoop https://amzn.to/2yGI2OE

• half sheet pan https://amzn.to/2SYvUPD

• silpat liner https://amzn.to/3bt3aFf

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Giant Chocolate Toffee Cookies

makes 24 cookies (using #20 scoop)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 16 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar

• 4 large eggs

• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

• 7 ounces chocolate covered toffee bits or a whole bar, chopped (Skor, Heath, etc)

• optional 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (black walnuts would work particularly well here)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

2. In a double boiler over medium heat, slowly melt the chocolate and butter together until smooth; set aside and cool until lukewarm.

3. Beat sugar and eggs together for about 5 minutes until thick (I used my stand mixer with the whisk attachment).

4. Slowly add the melted chocolate and vanilla extract.

5. Next add the flour mixture, followed by the chopped toffee candy and nuts.

6. Cover bowl with plastic and chill for 45 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 350F.

8. Use a #20 scoop to portion cookie dough, 2 1/2-inches apart onto half sheet pans lined with parchment or silicone (6 cookies per sheet pan).

9. Bake for 15 minutes; cool completely before removing.

10. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Bailey's Irish Cream and Pistachio Fudge

Time for this month's Crazy Cooking Challenge - FUDGE!!  My selection, Bailey's Irish Cream and Pistachio Fudge.  It's so good, and it's so easy to make - it takes about 10 minutes from start to finish, requires only 4 ingredients, and there's no need to use a candy thermometer. 

I found the recipe on the blog Eat Good 4 Life by Miryam.  She also has a tempting Kahlua and Dark Chocolate Fudge recipe that's just as easy, as well as all kinds of sweet treats and savory fare.  Lovely blog - I hope you'll stop by and pay her a visit.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• pistachios https://amzn.to/2Hl09v3

• high quality white chocolate chips https://amzn.to/2YpijkO

• sweetened condensed milk https://amzn.to/2HhRxVP

• nonstick foil https://amzn.to/3IJwGcp

• 9x9 square pan https://amzn.to/3J9mFGQ

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Bailey's Irish Cream and Pistachio Fudge

makes one 9x9-inch square pan 

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 36 ounces white chocolate chips

• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

• 6 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream

• 1/3 cup shelled pistachios, blanched and chopped (more is okay)

Directions

1. Line a 9x9 pan with foil and lightly grease with butter (or use nonstick foil); set aside.

2. In a heavy-bottom sauce pan over low heat, combine the first 3 ingredients and stir constantly until the mixture is completely combined.

3. Remove from heat and stir in pistachios.

4. Pour into prepared pan and chill until set. Cut and serve.

Note

• I reduced the recipe to 1/3 which worked perfectly with one bag of chips and a mini bottle of Irish Cream (50ml).