The Christmas season is well upon us. We put up more lights outside today as the Mooloolaba Christmas Boat Parade is Saturday night. The parade goes by the back yard and we can’t be blank, can we? That’s not very supportive of our community. That’s what I told John anyway and he nodded like one of those toy dogs that people used to put in the back windows of cars.
That’s much better than, “Don’t be stupid, we don’t need lights!” He told me that once a long time ago and I ignored him and put them up anyway. Ever since then he just goes along with me.
My reasoning is much different than my mother’s. When I was young she wanted candles in all the windows and my father thought it was a ridiculous expense just for Christmas. My mother moped and mumbled but he was adamant, he had 3 children to buy presents for and there wasn’t money for window candles.
Not to be undone, one night at dinner she had one final attempt and said, “Walter, if we don’t have candles in our windows, people are going to think we’re Jewish!”
He burst out laughing and said, “Anne, if you want candles, buy candles but nobody is going to think we’re Jewish, we know nearly everyone.” That’s how it is in a very small town in Maine.
I had a lot to do today AND I needed to make a new post so I looked around for a cookie recipe that would not only photograph well, would taste good enough to give away. I had some toffee I’d made and crushed into small pieces so a chocolate chip and almond toffee crunch cookie seemed the way to go. These are my entry into Patience Brewster’s online cookie exchange. Never heard of Patience Brewster? I’ll admit it was new to me too. Check out these gorgeous Christmas ornaments.
I am a fantatic for mise en place and quickly had all the ingredients lined up on the counter and wham bam, the cookie batter was done. I followed another blogger’s recipe to the letter. I popped it in the fridge for an hour and then mixed in the chocolate and toffee and scooped some batter on baking paper lined sheets.
In the oven it went and about halfway through the baking I peeked in the oven and gave an audible gasp. My cookies melded into a cake – a VERY flat cake.
I went back to the drawing board and added more flour as I know that will stop the spreading and make a more cake like cookie. I didn’t want cake like but I didn’t want to eat them with a spoon. (That said, eating them with a spoon was fantastic!)
Version 2.0 was a winner but I can’t give you THIS recipe because frankly, I had to fiddle with it. I should have used my own recipe below. Or you can use your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and add some homemade bashed toffee or if you’re lucky enough to be able to buy toffee pieces already bashed, go for it.
Here’s my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. You’ll find my recipe for almond toffee crunch with my panna cotta recipe.
- 2 cups plus 3 tablespoons plain flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 227 grams (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- ½ cup almond toffee crunch
- Preheat oven to 190C/375F and line baking sheet with paper or use a silicone mat.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together (except chocolate and toffee) in a bowl.
- Place the butter and sugars in the mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat another minute longer.
- Add the eggs and the vanilla extract and beat only until incorporated.
- Add the flour mixture by spoonsful until all used and just barely incorporated. You don't want to develop the gluten and make the cookies tough.
- Remove the bowl and fold in the chocolate and toffee and place in the refrigerator for an hour.
- Using a small ice cream scoop, spoon the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie, and bake on the middle rack until the cookies are lightly golden brown and still soft in the middle, about 11 minutes.
- Once baked, cool in the pan for 2 minutes before placing on a cooling rack.