Do you know that saying “on good days, work out, on bad days, work out harder”? Replace “work out” with “bake cookies”, and you have an accurate reflection of my life. Baking cookies is a slight obsession of mine. I am always trying to make the next batch better than the last. In an alternate life, I’d have a sweet (pun intended) job as a Cookie Developer – that exists, right?

My latest iteration is in the form of a chocolate chip cookie- a cookie that tastes like sunshine and happiness. Yes, that’s some high praise, I know. But aside from a ton of chocolate chips, there are also toasted hazelnuts, Skor bits, and oats – that’s right, it even has healthy things. Here are other reasons why you’ll love this recipe:

• It is as quick and easy to make as a regular chocolate chip cookie recipe. Lately, I have gotten into the habit of resting and chilling my dough, and I think the cookies turn out better. I also like chopping my oats in the food processor for this recipe, but it works just as well if you skip this step. Conversely, you can prep the oats and nuts in advance to also save time if you need it.
• If you’re not a fan of hazelnuts, try substituting walnuts or pecans. If you’re not a fan of toffee (or have a nut allergy), try replacing the Skor bits with raisins or dried apricots. You will want about 1.5 cups of mix-ins, in addition to the chocolate chips.
• They freeze well. The recipe yields about four dozen cookies. However, if you do not want or need 48 cookies all at once, you can freeze them for up to three months. You can either wrap them individually or store them together in an airtight container. When you’re ready to eat them, let them thaw on the countertop at room temperature or warm them up in the oven. If you decide not to freeze them, the cookies will last 1-2 weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Toffee Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup old-fashioned oats, finely chopped in a food processor (see the note above)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla or almond extract

½ cup Skor toffee bits (you can also chop up a Skor bar)

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

1 (12-oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time and the vanilla or almond extract.
3. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture. Mix until just blended. Stir in the Skor bits, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips. Cover the batter and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
4. While the batter is chilling, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Once the oven is ready, drop one rounded tablespoon of dough at a time onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart (I use my medium cookie scoop). Do not flatten the dough. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until cookies are golden (they will flatten slightly). Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Did you try this recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Sincerely,
Chrissy