Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toffee Pieces

5 from 3 votes

Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toffee Pieces

Easy, small batch chocolate chunk cookies enhanced with brown butter and option to add some toffee chips. Can be made gluten free with 1:1 gf flour

Prep Time10

Cook Time11

Chill Time30

Total Time50

Servings: cookies

Author: Sam Maccini

Equipment

1 baking sheet

Ingredients

Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

6 tbs unsalted butter browned, but cooled
1 cup all purpose flour or bread flour* spooned & leveled
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup dark brown sugar packed
⅓ cup white sugar
1 egg room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup chocolate chips or chunks + more for baking
¼ cup toffee pieces* optional

Homemade Toffee Pieces

½ stick unsalted butter*
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup light brown sugar packed

Instructions

Cookie Dough

Brown Butter: Cook butter on medium-low heat. Stir often until butter melts, bubbles & foams. Stir often until there are lots of brown flecks & it smells like toffee, but not burnt. Pour in a bowl to stop cooking & let it cool. It should be melted, but not warm to touch.
Whisk Dry Ingredients: While brown butter cools, whisk together dry ingredients. In a small bowl add flour, baking soda and salt. Lightly whisk and set aside.
Make Cookie Dough: Add cooled, browned butter, & sugars to large mixing bowl or bowl of standing mixer. Beat (with mixer or hand mixer) butter & sugars together for 30 seconds or so, then add egg & vanilla. beat on medium high until combined. Add dry ingredients & beat on low until almost combined. Finish the dough by scraping sides and folding remaining flour in - as to not over mix. Add chocolate chips and toffee pieces & fold (if skipping toffee, add extra chocolate!).
Scoop Cookie Dough: Using a 2.5-3tbs cookie scoop, scoop cookies. Gently roll them into a smooth ball. Place them on baking sheet or try to chill. Chill uncovered 1-2 hours (30 minutes bare minimum, but best at 1.5-2 hours).
Preheat Oven to 350°: With 10 minutes left of chill time, preheat oven to 350*. If dough chilled overnight, let it sit out on countertop while oven preheats to warm up a bit.
Bake Cookies: On a cookie sheet lined with parchment or silpat, place cookies about 2 inches apart. Lightly press a few more chocolate chunks or toffee pieces on top. Bake 11-12 minutes or until cookie is golden brown on the bottom. It may take 10 minutes or up to 14 minutes depending on your oven. They should be lightly golden on the bottom edges, and puffed. They will collapse and crinkle to perfection as they cool.
Let cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before moving to wire rack to finish cooling.

Homemade Toffee

Prepare a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. Melt butter in a small sauce pan on medium low heat. Add salt. Next, add brown sugar & whisk vigorously until everything is combined. Keep whisking for 12 minutes or until mixture reaches 295°. It looks like thick melted peanut butter & has gotten a shade or two darker.
This is a really great guide if you have never made toffee before.
Pour onto parchment and quickly spread evenly. It will start to cool while spreading. Let toffee cool 20 minutes. Carefully break up toffee into bits using rolling pin or large spoon. Store in airtight container and try not to eat them all to yourself!

Notes

I prefer to use bread flour, although I know it's not something everyone has on hand. All purpose flour works perfectly well. Bread flour makes a little bit of a sturdier, chewier cookie & is my preference, but I have used all-purpose many times! King Arthur's Brand for both is go to.
For chocolate chunks: I use Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet or Dark Chocolate Bars and chop them up. chocolate chunks. Any store-bought chips or chunks will work fine in this recipe. I prefer a chopped chocolate bar
Toffee: You do not have to use toffee, when I am wanting to make them extra quick I skip the toffee and just add extra chocolate
Storage: You can scoop the dough into balls, roll and freeze them. In a freezer-safe container they keep for up to 3 months. If baking the cookies straight from frozen, be sure to add a minute or two to to bake time.
Recipe can easily be doubled for full batch of cookies!

Nutrition