Pretzel Scotch Cookies

Yesterday was my Dad's birthday. If he was alive, he would have been 68 years old. He blessed me with so many wisdoms and good traits. Maybe a few crazy ideas once in a while. My Dad ALWAYS loved a good dessert. And when it was his birthday, that meant he could have doubles. What was his Favorite??? Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter frosting, Butter Pecan ice cream, Peach Pie, Sour Cream Raisin Pie (Thanksgiving only), cookies and anything else. Some of my family got together last night for a wonderful summer dinner on the patio at my Moms. It was a good evening. My Dad would have smiled, but we had no dessert...

My Dad would have loved these cookies. Actually we all love them. My second sister, her children and my Mom are going out of town this weekend to see some extended family. I decided that they needed travel cookies. My sister was all over my idea. I am still on the pretzel kick, but these are a completely different spin on cookies. I love the whole brown butter concept for Chocolate Cookies. I made the Cooks Illustrated recipe so many times, I knew it by heart.

This recipe is a combination of nutty butter melded with sugars. Chocolate Chips. Butterscotch Chips and Pretzels.  It is a montage in your mouth. So very good.  These cookies are the best if they have been refrigerated for at least 8 hours. This is why you really need to READ through a whole recipe before you start. I chilled them for an hour. They still spread out, and that is why my cook time was only 9 minutes per batch.

Pretzel Scotch Cookies
Slightly adapted from Unegaminedanslacuisine.com
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup broken or crushed pretzels
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Direction:
Place butter in a medium heavy bottom sauce pan over medium heat . The butter will melt and start to foam. As it foams, a wonderful nutty aroma will develop. Continue swirling the pan as the butter continues to cook. The butter will start to turn brown. When it has turned brown, but not burnt, remove from heat. Pour buter into your bowl for your stand mixer. Add both sugars and mix by hand thoroughly.  As the butter cools, the melding of the sugars with the butter is amazing. Somewhat caramel like.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

Once your butter has cooled, attach to the stand mixer and beat the butter and sugars at medium speed of  2 minutes. Add the eggs and continue to beat. Add milk and vanilla and beat at medium until well mixed. Slowly add the flour mixture, beating on low speed until combined. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in pretzels, butterscotch chips and chocolate chips until combined.

Cover bowl for a least eight hours. Really very important

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.
Remove the chilled dough from the fridge. Scoop out a rounded tablespoon size piece of dough. Place on lined sheet. Leaving about one inch space between cookies. Chilled cookies will not spread out very much. Leave more room if not chilled long enough. Bake between 9-11 minutes or until barely brown. Remove from over and allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for 2-3 minutes and transfer to cooling rack.

This dough was chilled for only one hour. Still soft

Happy Birthday Dad. Safe travels to my Mom and Sister. Enjoy these yummy cookies.

These cookies would be very good with Ice Cream... Vanilla or Chocolate