Brickle Drop English Toffee Cookies

January 8:  English Toffee Day

When browsing through the British Isles food booths at cultural and Celtic festivals and fairs in the states, we like to sample different sweets, such as cookies, tablets and toffees. Sometimes the latter is too sweet even for our sweet tooth. But a little bit ‘o brickle in biscuits is delicious. For an even tastier toffee treat, we dip chewy cookies in chocolate and sprinkle the crunchy pieces on them. Either way, Brickle Drop English Toffee Cookies are great for observing English Toffee Day!

Recipe

(Adapted from Hershey’s)

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar, granulated white
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 3 ½ cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 1/3 cups (8-ounce package) English toffee bits (Heath Bits ‘O Brickle)

Directions

In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugars. Stir in the vanilla. Sprinkle the salt. Beat in the eggs.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Gradually add this to the butter mixture and blend well until a sticky dough forms. Fold in the English toffee bits.

Roll the dough into one-inch balls and place on a foil-lined, lightly-greased cookie sheet. Space the balls about two inches apart to allow the cookies to spread while baking. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for about five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: Approximately 6 dozen cookies.

Notes

• Cookies may be dipped partly in melted chocolate. Sprinkle some English toffee bits on it before the chocolate hardens. Lay on waxed paper (but do not stack the cookies) to allow the chocolate to set. Arrange on a platter to serve.