When I first learned of these cookies, they were called something like “Showhouse Cookies” , or “Show Stopper Cookies”, or maybe they were even called “Heart Stopper Cookies”. Honestly I can’t remember, and I don’t really even care because for a long time now, we’ve simply called them “The” Cookies. They are a decadent mix of white chocolate, toffee bits, brown sugar, and nuts, rendered in form of a perfect, sweet – chewy – crunchy cookie.
A perennial favorite with Grid, he rarely goes more than a few days without some reference to them.
“Hey Dad, you think you can make some of THE cookies this week?”
“It’s been a while since you’ve made THE cookies, what gives?”
When caught hunched over in front of the freezer, arse in the air, and his head in the chill zone, one can often hear him mumbling, “I just know there has to be a bag of THE cookies in here somewhere….there just HAS TO BE!”
“The” cookies is a rather distinguished moniker, I know, and must have you all thinking “Hmmmm……these must be really amazing cookies to be referred to as “The” cookies, as if other types of cookies don’t even exist“. Yes, that just about covers our logic in calling them “The” cookies….they are simply THAT good.
The story behind my acquiring the recipe for these babies is, to be honest, a bit embarrassing. Years ago, a neighbor of mine, who used to own a lovely catering company and gourmet shop, brought these to my home when a guest at a class function we were hosting for the grade school our kids attended. As is normally the case when I host a gathering such as this, I prepared SO MUCH food for the crowd, that I hardly noticed the beautiful platter of the cookies that she had brought until the night was wrapping up and everyone was packing their stuff to leave.
It was then that I grabbed one of the few remaining on the tray, took a bite, and felt myself careening into a rather intense (though thankfully short-lived) obsessive quest for the recipe. To say that I was relentless, annoying, or even a bit stalker-ish in my campaign to acquire it, would be a vast understatement. I am fairly certain that she finally coughed it up because she started to question my mental stability, and feared for the safety of her property, children and beloved pets. Not my proudest moment to be sure, but as I said, these cookies are THAT good, and at the time, the thought of living out my life without the recipe for them was making me think bad, evil, naughty thoughts. 😉
Now, go ahead and make these and you’ll see what I mean. Cheers – S
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 12 oz. Skor English Toffee Bits, or Heath bar bits
- 12 oz. white chocolate chips
- 3 cups roughly chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Pre-Heat your oven to 350 degrees
- In the bowl of an standing mixer fitting with a paddle attachment, cream the soft butter, the sugars, vanilla, eggs, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. With the mixer on a low-medium speed, mix in the flour, then add the toffee bits, white chocolate chips, and chopped nuts.
- Drop the batter from a large spoon or small ice cream scoop and flatten with the heal of your hand. Allow room for spreading.
- Bake for 10 - 12 min. until golden brown, remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before moving the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling to room temperature.