A splash of bourbon grants you a reprieve from the sweetness of butterscotch chips in this recipe for chewy bourbon butterscotch cookies.
Are you settling into 2018? I feel like life has been quite a whirl lately between work, cookies, wedding planning, and navigating some anxieties. Slow down 2018! As someone who absolutely adores hosting and entertaining, I’m actually having a hard time getting into the swing of planning a wedding. Anyone go through this? I keep going back to how I will just be happy to have so many people who I love there, including that main squeeze I’ll meet down the aisle.
During periods like this where I feel a tad overwhelmed, I turn to one of my favorite therapies, baking. Despite life’s craziness, spending time on this blog and with you (virtually) is one of my favorite things and it truly makes me happy. It is a gravitational pull that I never want to stop getting caught in! So without even pushing sappiness aside, thank you for being here. This year I am really excited to bring more of myself to this site and to learn more about each of you.
Let’s start with these bourbon butterscotch cookies, shall we? I have had butterscotch chips on hand since the holidays and finally got around to testing some cookies with them. If you’re hesitant about butterscotch because it is so sweet—it is essentially a mix of sugar and butter afterall—let me assure you that I did a bit of testing to find a compromise that balanced that flavor.
If you’re a fan of things like blondies, or snickerdoodles, or bourbon in general, I definitely think you’ll enjoy the flavor of these butterscotch cookies. We’ll add a little more dark brown sugar than granulated which not only adds chew, but it also enhances the cookies’ depth with a molasses-type note. Butterscotch is reminiscent of white chocolate to me in that it can be overly sweet and perhaps even have the same polarizing fandom (the lovers or the haters), but when done right, its caramel profile is just enough sweetness to satisfy your taste buds. And hey, a splash of bourbon can’t hurt. Just like in this bourbon banana bread, the dark spirit is an understated smokey addition to your favorite baked goods.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup (4.25 oz) bread flour
- 1 cup (4.5 oz) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 sticks of butter, or 10 tablespoons, softened
- 1/2 cup, heaping, (5 oz) dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 cup (6 oz) butterscotch chips
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the bread flour, all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, dark sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, followed by the vanilla extract and bourbon and mix until combined.
- With the mixer on low, gently pour the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add the butterscotch chips and mix to evenly distribute. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour (You may scoop the dough prior to refrigerating if you’d like. It is often easier than scooping out chilled dough).
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350° and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out the chilled dough and place on the prepared pans, leaving 3 inches between each. Bake in the preheated oven for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the tops are crackled, the edges are set, and the very center still looks a little wet.
- Cool on a rack until you feel like eating them, which will be not long after. 🙂
