Holiday Treats: Toblerone Shortbread Cookies

I'll be honest, I really didn't feel like baking last night. But I promised that I'd do a Holiday Treats special, and I realized I haven't posted much (just one so far) and Christmas is literally just around the corner (3 days!). So from a list of ideas that I've had, I went for the easiest, quickest one. But that just adds to the awesomeness of this cookie! It's so easy that it makes it that much more delicious. I even left the big stand mixer inside my cupboard and busted out my spatula and my arm (and Andrew's arm) to show you how simple and low-maintenance this cookie is.



I know this cookie sounds/looks pretty cheesy, but hear me out. I usually dislike cookies that so obviously depend on another candy bar.. it hits my "bake-from-scratch snob" nerve. But this cookie is an exception to me. I've always been a huge fan of Toblerone chocolate bars, and the first Toblerone Shortbread cookie I tried at a local bakery made a lasting impression on me.

I'm probably a big fan of Toblerone because my dad was always a fan of the Toblerone bar. When I was a little girl, whenever my dad went on a business trip, he'd always come back home with a bag of goodies. Some promo goodies he collected at the work conference show (pens, stress-balls, maybe even a slinky toy), a few bags of airplane peanuts, and... a box of Toblerone chocolate bars. And the box would usually be open already as my dad would have snacked on one. Maybe it was just the excitement of my dad coming back from a trip or maybe it was the milky chocolate with nougat surprises in a fun triangle shape. But in any case, I fell in love with it as a little girl.

And about the discovery of the Shortbread Cookie... let's just say, the girl who worked there saw me a LOT, since I'd drop by the place even if it was out of the way to "just check if you had any of those Toberlone shortbreads left!"



So you can probably see how much I would love these cookies, and I'm sure you would enjoy them very much too! I've sorta made this recipe up by using a basic shortbread recipe and adding chopped chocolate bits as well, so you get a nice flavour overall. The dusty, almost melting shortbread is such a wonderful vessel for this chocolate! And remember, it's sooo easy to make, so hurry - make that trip to the variety store and buy some bars of Toblerone and bake this cookie!! Happy Holidays!!

Toblerone Shortbread Cookies

makes 2 dozen cookies

ingredients

1 cup (2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1 small Toblerone chocolate bar, chopped
3 small Toblerone chocolate bar, individual triangles separated

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with parchment.
2. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add flour and cornstarch gradually while beating continuously. Beat until light. Add chopped Toblerone bits.
4. Drop tablespoons of dough and slightly flatten onto baking sheet. Squish Toblerone triangles in the middle of each cookie.
5. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Cool completely for best texture!

Holiday Treats: Chocolate Toffee Cookies

I was just about to write "It's finally my favourite time of year!" but then I had to think twice about that. Is it really my favourite time of year? I mean, I do love love love the snow and even the cold brisk air but I don't know if it really compares to blissful summer days or romantic fall evenings. But one thing for sure is there's no other time of year that brings festivities and excitement to our hearts! I'm really not into crazy Christmas shopping, but I do love that the holidays lead me to think of each and every special one around me, whether it's for gift-giving or not. And just as the cold winter air is invigorating, it is truly refreshing to sometimes "be still" in the midst of the holiday craziness and think about the really valuable things in life. Of course - the warm embrace of holiday spirit is just as wonderful!! (Oh and how could I forget CHRISTMAS MUSIC?)




In light of this, and in celebration of all the abundant and delectable food we are fortunate to enjoy during this time, I thought I'd do a series on Holiday Treat this year! I did a Christmas-Bake-A-Thon a few years back (Oh dear, has it been that long ago? I did this in 2008!) and made a variety of cookies: Madelines, Traditional Shortbread, Pecan Bars, Lemon Squares. So there's just ten days until Christmas but I'm going to try to make as many festive treats as I can!



The first cookie is a cookie that I baked for my husband's work christmas cookie exchange. When they announced it at work, Andrew automatically signed up right away. He kindly "command-asked" me, as if I had any other option! But really, it's quite cute how he lights up for any chance he gets to show off his wife's baking. I also received a beautiful hunk of Callebaut dark chocolate from a close friend of mine as a housewarming gift. I've been waiting and waiting for the right chance to use it and this was perfect. I looked for a recipe that would best showcase the quality chocolate and so I found these rich chocolate toffee cookies from smitten kitchen.



These cookies are very rich and fudgy but the sharp sweetness of the toffee and nutty flavour of the walnut really balance it out nicely. Also, the instructions call for an almost meringue stage for the egg and sugar so you can really feel some of that lightness coincided with the super rich chocolate butter mixture. Another key thing about making these cookies right is the baking time. Please please don't over bake it!! It's all about slightly underbaking it (ever-so slightly) and letting it cook as it cools. These cookies taste better when completely cooled so remember your patience will be rewarded while you stare down these beauties on the cooling rack. Well, let's just say that I got a report from my husband that these cookies were the first to be gone – they were the most popular! It probably helped that I made them bite-sized; it's a lot of flavour so I figured a smaller cookie will entice, not overwhelm. I hope this is a nice introduction to our delicious holiday to come! I hope all of you a sweet Holiday filled with joy and peace!

Chocolate Toffee Cookies

makes 5 dozen small cookies
recipe adapted from smitten kitchen

ingredients

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 Skor or Heath), coarsely chopped
1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

directions

1. In a small bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. 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.

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

3. Stir in flour mixture, then toffee and nuts. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes. Slice and bake option: I used the slice and bake option for easier handling and even sizes. After chilling until firm, roll the dough into a log 1-inch in diameter and chill again for 20 minutes. When ready to bake the cookies, 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.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Drop batter by half-tablespoon onto sheets, or place slices of cookie dough, about 1-inch 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 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely on sheets.

These cookies can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.