Encounters with inferior chocolate chip cookies in the last few days left me wanting the real thing. They were all made from scratch so it wasn’t for the lack of effort. Quite simply put, the baker’s touch was not up to par. I feel a little sad just thinking of all the ingredients and time that went into baking those cookies.
I do not claim to be an expert but I learned from years of baking experience exactly how I prefer my chocolate chip cookies. When I do not feel like breaking out the stand mixer, Cook’s Illustrated Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie (check out Brown Eyed Baker’s adaptation) is my reliable choice. For all intents and purposes, I thought I would enjoy a late night snack of milk and chocolate chip cookies yesterday but it was not to be.
I ran out of chocolate chips.
Okay, not quite. I bet my favourite offset spatula would be taken away as punishment for being so ill prepared. I have plenty of dark chocolate (already chopped), couverture wafers, and pricy chocolate chips that I would rather save for special occasions. After 12 months of baking, I finally depleted my case of everyday chocolate chips.
I decided to improvise based on what I could find in the pantry. Lucky me, my search was not futile. Butterscotch chips and toffee bits would complement the dark brown sugar of the cookie dough. Sweetened shredded coconut and browned butter were meant for each other. Could it be that I found a new favourite cookie?
Do not underestimate the seductive power of butterscotch and coconut! Although milk seems to be a poor accompaniment, a cup of strong coffee is awesome with these Butterscotch Coconut Cookies. Not exactly late night snack material, I have to admit. I decided to rest the cookie dough overnight and baked them the next morning instead. I am a huge fan of my quick release cookie scoop but found a new way to perfectly portion the dough with the trusty chef knife.
Who would have thought running out of chocolate chips is a blessing in disguise?
Butterscotch Coconut Cookies
adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes 16 large cookies
Ingredients
- 250g (1 3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 142g + 57g (10 tablespoons + 4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 150g (3/4 cup) packed dark brown sugar
- 100g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 105g (1/2 cup) butterscotch chips
- 115g (3/4 cup) toffee bits
- 75g (3/4 cup) sweetened shredded coconut
Method
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat 142g (10 tablespoons) butter over medium heat until brown and smells nutty. Watch closely. In the mean time, place remaining 57g (4 tablespoons) butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. As soon as butter is browned, pour into mixing bowl and whisk until butter has melted. Let stand for 3 minutes to melt the sugar too. Whisk in vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until mixture is smooth and velvety.
- Using a spatula, gently mix in flour until just blended. Fold in butterscotch chips, toffee bits, and coconut to evenly distribute. Do not over mix.
- Transfer batter to a large sheet of plastic wrap and pat into an 8-inch round. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill overnight in the fridge (up to 2 days).
- When you’re ready to bake, remove dough disc from fridge and set at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 375F and line two 11x17 baking pans with parchment paper. Cut dough into 16 wedges of equal size.
- While the dough is still cold, shape wedges into balls with your hands. Place 6 balls on prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-14 minutes until golden. The edges should be set and the centre puffy and soft. Leave on baking sheet for another 5 minutes until firm enough to transfer to cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough balls. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers for 3 days.
