Butterscotch cookies warm winter day
I came into some free time last week so I decided to do
something I hardly ever do
– I baked cookies. There is something about homemade cookies
that can’t be matched by anything else – certainly not store-bought
packaged cookies, and not the ones found in the bakery section at
the grocery store. In fact, homemade cookies even surpass the ones
at my favorite sandwich shop in Ho
llister. There is just something about a cookie right off the
cooling rack when the chocolate chips are a still a little
gooey.
Butterscotch cookies warm winter day
I came into some free time last week so I decided to do something I hardly ever do – I baked cookies. There is something about homemade cookies that can’t be matched by anything else – certainly not store-bought packaged cookies, and not the ones found in the bakery section at the grocery store. In fact, homemade cookies even surpass the ones at my favorite sandwich shop in Hollister. There is just something about a cookie right off the cooling rack when the chocolate chips are a still a little gooey.
My favorite are butterscotch chip cookies. The butterscotch chip cookie is a recipe created by my mother, with plenty of help from Nestle Tollhouse. When I was a little kid, she always made oatmeal scotchies for my dad, but I didn’t like oatmeal cookies so one day she just tossed the butterscotch chips in with a basic chocolate chip cookie dough batter. A family favorite was born. The times I’ve shared a batch of these cookies with friends or coworkers, they seem to be a hit, though they pack quite a bit of sweetness. I find it best to balance two butterscotch chip cookies with a chocolate chip.
I’ve never found any place that sells these unique cookies, so I generally get around to baking them a couple times a year. The reason I don’t bake very frequently is because it just seems like so much work. Between prep time and clean up for two batches of cookies last week took three hours. It didn’t help that when I opened up the flour tin, I discovered our foster kittens had been playing in it and it was laced with fine, white cat fur. Out went the entire tin, and luckily we had an unopened bag of flour in the pantry. The only plus is that mixing up the dough is so much easier since we got a KitchenAid stand mixer. I don’t use it much, but it sure beats trying to mix two-plus cups of flour into sugar, butter and eggs by hand.
When the first batch came out, it reminded me of why it was well worth the three hours. The first cookies came out crispy on the edges and soft in the middle, just the way I like them. The recipe below can use butterscotch chips, or any other chips can be substituted. It also includes a variation for freezing cookie dough for future use, which allows the option to cook up a half-dozen cookies at a time for optimum freshness.
Butterscotch chip cookies
Adapted from Nestle Tollhouse
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 c. (12-oz. pkg.) butterscotch chips
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for nine to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for two minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about three dozen cookies.
Pan cookie variation
Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.
Slice and bake cookie variation
Prepare dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes (may be stored in refrigerator for up to one week, or in freezer for up to eight weeks). Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
