Recipe: Toffee Pecan Cookies

Calvin's teacher has been out for several weeks due to surgery. She came back to the classroom on Monday. Calvin came home that afternoon and told me that we had to make some really delicious cookie to bring to her. When I asked why, he told me that another little boy gave her some cookies that day and she told the boy that she loved him. "So I need to bring her even better cookies Mom!" Well, okay then. Clearly I have a little boy who needs a lot of affection.

These are the cookies we made and when I asked Calvin how it went he said "she told me she loved me more than that other boy (doubtful, but really adorable)." Mission accomplished.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups English toffee bits, such as Skor or Heath
1 3/4 cups pecans, toasted and chopped

Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars at medium-high speed until light, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla extract. At this point the dough will look curdled. At low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing just until blended. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the toffee and pecans.

Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 14 minutes (I find it better to under-cook them), until the cookies are starting to turn golden brown around the edges. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely. Makes about 48 cookies.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.