Toffee Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

If your cookies didn’t spread, you probably added too much flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can use the scoop and level method. Even an extra tablespoon of flour will make a huge difference!

Heat a light-colored pan over medium heat. Cut your butter into equal pieces so it melts evenly. Place the butter in the pan. Use a silicone spatula to stir the butter around as it begins to melt. Once it’s melted, it will begin to foam and make tiny popping sounds. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Do not stop stirring the entire time. The foam will begin to subside and you’ll notice the butter start to brown. Continue to stir until it’s reached a golden brown color and you see dark flecks in the pan. It should smell intensely rich and nutty. Turn the heat down to low near the end if your butter hasn’t gotten quite golden enough. Browning butter is quick so be careful it doesn’t burn.

Any type of chocolate chip would work here; white, milk, or dark chocolate. You could swap out the pretzels for saltines. Reduce the salt to 1/4 teaspoon. Saltines are generally more salty than pretzels. Because you know, salt-ines.

If your cookies aren’t soft, chances are you over baked them. Even an extra minute will make a big difference. When you pull them out, the center will look soft, but they will set as they cool on the baking sheet.

My favorite is a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop. I like this one here.

As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven, use a cookie/biscuit cutter and gently scoot them into a circle. Be careful not to scoot too hard or they may smoosh together.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Grab your candy thermometer. In a small saucepan, add 4 tablespoons (sliced into 1 tablespoon pieces) of unsalted butter. Add 1/4 cup light brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Gently heat mixture over low heat. Gently whisk the entire time. You will need to heat the mixture up slowly so the toffee doesn’t separate. The entire process should take about 20 minutes. As soon as the toffee reaches a temperature of 295-300° F quickly remove and place on prepared baking sheet. Gently tap the sheet so the mixture is even thickness. Allow to cool completely before breaking it into bits. Freeze cooled and chopped toffee in an airtight container or freezer safe ziploc bag for up to 3 months.

These cookies are best fresh, but can be kept in an air tight container up to 3 days.

To freeze the cookie dough, roll the dough into balls, add toppings, and place them on a plate and set in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Then transfer them to a freezer safe ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Remember to label the dough with what it is, the date you made the batch, and the baking time as well. Add an additional 1-2 minutes onto the baking time when baking frozen dough. This is a no chill dough so the cookies will bake up a little thicker.