CHOCOLATE TOFFEE COOKIES - Smitten Kitchen

These are rich and chewy and sophisticated tasting for a chocolate cookie. Definitely my new favorite chocolate cookie. Which up until now I really didn't have a favorite since I don't normally love chocolate cookies. (Of course, the New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie is in a different category altogether.)

The recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen which she adapted from Bon Appetit magazine. (Did you hear about Gourmet magazine? Very sad.)

Chocolate Toffee Cookies
Adapted from Bon Appetit

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups (packed) brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 1.4-ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (such as Heath), coarsely chopped
1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional, but please add it)

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool mixture to lukewarm.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla.

Stir in flour mixture, then toffee and nuts. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Drop batter by spoonfuls onto sheets, spacing two inches apart. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt, if you’re using it. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Let them cool completely as they continue baking once they come out of the oven.

From Smitten Kitchen: After struggling a bit to scoop these cookies, I rolled the dough into a log 1.5 inches in diameter and chilled it. When I was ready to bake the cookies, I cut it into 1/2-inch slices. You can store the dough log in the freezer, wrapped in waxed paper and then two layers of plastic wrap for up to a month, just baking the cookies off as you need. Cookies baked straight from the freezer may need an additional minute or two in the oven, depending on their thickness.

From Kim: I lined a 9 x 13 pan with wax paper and spread the dough in the pan and then chilled it for about an hour. Then I cut it in 4 pieces and rolled the dough into logs, then cut into 1/2 inch slices. This worked well.