You’d think that after all the toffee I consumed last week I wouldn’t want anything more to do with the stuff for a while, but it’s not so. On the contrary, I was quite eager to chop up some of the decadent candy that had eluded my eager hands and parlay them into the Toffee Almond Shortbread recipe that I found on yet another package of butter (I’ve definitely become a fan of these recipes from the butter producers!).
I wondered aloud on Twitter whether I should dip these cookies in chocolate or not. The response from the Twitterverse was a resounding “YES!” and I’m glad I heeded their advice. Shortbread is rich and sweet enough on its own, and this one with the toffee bits was no exception. But the chocolate makes it just a little bit more special and I think it looks especially nice with the star shapes.
As you can see in the photos, I’ve packaged up these little stars to give away as gifts. But never fear – I still have plenty of odd scraps left over from the cookie cutting to last us through the holidays (and, yes, I dipped those in chocolate too :-)).
Toffee Almond Shortbread
From inside the Horizon Organic unsalted butter package
Makes 3 dozen bars
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped almonds, lightly toasted
1/2 cup toffee bits
2 cups all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter a 13×9-inch pan. Using an electric mixer combine butter and sugar until blended. Stir in egg yolk, vanilla, salt, almonds and toffee bits. Add flour all at once and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Dough will be coarse and crumbly. Press evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until barely colored. Cut into bars while slightly warm.
If you’d like to dip the cookies in chocolate, as I did: Melt 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave at 50% power for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir and continue heating at 15-30 second intervals, stirring until smooth. Dip each cookie in the chocolate and allow to cool and set on a wire rack.
This looks really yummy!! I think it will be this evening’s project…Where do you buy toffee bits?
I love your blogs!
Thanks, Eleni! I can usually find toffee bits in the baking aisle near chocolate chips (Heath is one brand that makes them).
I’d love to try making these to add to my cookie tray.
.-= Ciaochowlinda´s last blog ..Chocolate Biscotti =-.
These are my kind of cookie. Toffee is my favorite and they are festive too! Love them!
.-= Maria´s last blog ..Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies =-.
I am making these this weekend! They look great! Thanks for the recipe.
Excellent – hope you enjoy them!
yum! i love how some of the best cookie recipes are the ones i find on the inside of the butter boxes!! these are very much like some butter toffee chip cookies i make, but minus the almonds! i’m going to have to try this version too!!
These look fabulous! I love that you jazzed up the recipe by cutting the bars into shapes. Since I’m such a fan of toffee I need to give this recipe a try:)
.-= Nutmeg Nanny´s last blog ..Butterscotch Scotchies – Operation Baking Gals =-.
Did you cut these into stars before or after baking? Thanks!
After baking but while they were still a bit warm 🙂
I’m going to make these this weekend! I was thinking of doing stars like these–how many did you manage to get from one batch? I’m planning to give some in a tin as a hostess gift.
Great – I hope you like them! I got about a dozen stars out of a single batch (abt 2″ wide).
These are so cute and look delish!