Butter Crunch Cookies

javagirl81's Note:

When I was a kid in school, they used to sell these cookies, and I'd always wonder how they made them taste so good...Now, as an adult, I have been experimenting, trying to come up with a recipe, since I couldn't find any online. I struck gold yesterday, and so, here is the recipe, which if I may say so myself, taste even better that the Linden's brand! Enjoy!!!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 25 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 12-15

Yield: 36.0 Cookies

• 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• ¾ cup unsalted butter , room temperature
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, powdered sugar and salt.
3. In a small heavy bottom cast iron skillet, melt 1/4 C of butter, and 1/2 C sugar over very low heat, until it is bubbling and thick. Let this mixture cool for about a minute, (no more) and then pour it onto a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper to cool a few minutes more.
4. When it is cool enough,(and still slightly pliable) break off small pieces using a sharp heavy knife, or maybe a clean screwdriver. It will be a lot of work, but you'll get a little muscle, and the reward of knowing that your cookies are going to be so good, you won't mind all of the work!
5. Now, in a large mixing bowl, beat the remaining sugars with the remaining butter until it is light and fluffy. Add the egg, and mix again. Add the vanilla and the corn syrup, mixing until it is combined.
6. Then, add the flour mixture, a little at a time, until it is completely incorporated. With a wooden spoon, add the cooled candy pieces, distributing them evenly throughout the dough.
7. Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes, or freeze it for 15. When it is cold, roll out 1 1/2-inch balls of dough, and be careful, those pieces of toffee will probably be really sharp! Place the balls of dough 2 1/2-inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet, and bake for 9-11 minutes, making sure that they don't brown too much. They should be very light on top, and golden on the bottom.
8. After two minutes, remove the cookies from the cookie sheet, and continue cooling on a wire cooling rack, about 7-8 more minutes, or until the toffee is set.

Reviews

[Chef #926523]

I did the toffee mixture first. With no instructions as to the colour e.g. light brown, dark brown to look for I didn't know exactly when to remove it from the stove. It was bubbling, thick and a caramel colour. It's currently lying in a pool of butter and I don't think I'll complete the receipe. Please be explicit especially when talking of a candy.

[Chef #1450897]

I too enjoyed these cookies as a kid at school and have been looking for this recipe for years! Thank you! It's perfect. I would advise ( for us toffee challenged) to make the toffee first b4 preheating the oven and mixing the dry ingredients. Also w/ the toffee it helps if you put the sugar in first, butter pats on top, and cover over med heat until it dissolves then reduce to achieve perfect toffee color. Thanks again!