Print

Sticky Toffee Yuletide-Spiced Cookies

Brett Y.

Bringing in the festive cheer and winning an honorable mention in the 2021 Holiday Cookie Recipe Contest are the sticky toffee yuletide-spiced cookies by Brett Y. You’ll get all the nostalgic holiday feelings with warming spices and a soft, chewy texture.
35 min Prep Time
25 min Cook Time
  • Prep Time: 35 min
  • Cook Time: 25 min

Ingredients

  • Cookies:

  • 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup English toffee baking bits
  • 1/2 cup caramel baking bits or 12 square caramel candies, cut into pieces (see baking notes)
  • 1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped (see baking notes)

  • White chocolate drizzle:

  • 1/2 cup premium white chocolate baking chips
  • 1 teaspoon salted butter

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Step 2

On separate small baking sheets, bake the oats and walnuts until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Process oats in a food processor until finely ground. Set the ground oats and walnuts aside.

Step 3

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, garam masala, and ground oats in a medium bowl; set aside.

Step 4

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and dark brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, stopping to scrape sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla and beat until blended, about 1 minute.

Step 5

Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combined, stopping to scrape sides of bowl, about 1 minute. Fold in toffee, caramel, dates, and walnuts and mix to evenly distribute the ingredients.

Step 6

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide dough into 2 tablespoon portions and roll into balls. Arrange dough balls 5-inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake, in batches, until light brown around edges (centers will still be soft), 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Step 7

For white chocolate drizzle: Melt white chocolate chips and butter in a small-microwave safe bowl at 50% power for about 60 seconds, stirring halfway through until melted. Drizzle melted chocolate over cooled cookies as desired.
Baking Notes:
  1. If caramel baking bits are unavailable, substitute with 12 caramel candy squares cut in half and each half cut into 4 pieces for a total of 8 small bits of caramel per square.
  2. The dough is sticky and can be refrigerated for easier handling.
  3. Makes 22 cookies (2 tablespoons dough/42 grams each)
  4. Dough will spread to make 3 1/2-inch cookies; allow space between dough balls when arranging them on baking sheet
  5. Tunisian or Medjool dates work best in this recipe.