Category: white chocolate

Double Butterscotch Dreams

A while back, a coworker mentioned to me that he loved anything with butterscotch. As you all know, I am a huge fan of “dream” cookies from Linda J. Amendt’s cookbook 400 Sensational Cookies.  Out of the 400 cookies, there are about 20 different “dream” cookie combinations including butterscotch! How exciting, another opportunity for me to make dreams!!
So, what did I think of these double butterscotch cookies? Of course they were delicious, however be forewarned…. they are extremely rich! You only need to eat one. The butterscotch flavored pudding combined with the rich white chocolate and butterscotch chips creates for one sweet cookie. For some people, they may be too sweet.
*Want to see all the “dream” recipes that I’ve tried? My favorite combination is chocolate chip, but you can’t go wrong with any of them!
Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Butterscotch Dreams
Ingredients
2 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 package (3.4 oz.) instant butterscotch pudding mix
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a bow, whisk together flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter, shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl.
5. On low speed or using a wooden spoon, gradually add flour mixture, beating until just blended. By hand, fold in chocolate/butterscotch chips and nuts.
6. Using a cookie scoop or spoons, drop tablespoonfuls (15 mL) of dough about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake one sheet at a time in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges start to turn lightly golden.
7. Immediately slide parchment paper onto a wire cooking rack. Cool cookies for 5 minutes, then transfer from parchment paper to cooling rack and cool completely.

Yield: about 3 dozen cookies
Recipe adapted from: 400 Sensational Cookies by Linda J. Amendt

Snow Witches (White Chocolate Brownies)

My mom and I were in Barnes and Noble today and saw a cookbook with a delicious looking brownie on the front cover titled “Fat Witch Brownies:  Brownies, Blondies, and Bars from New York’s Legendary Fat Witch Bakery”. We flipped through the pages, drooling over every picture, so we ended up each buying a book.  Patricia Helding owns New York’s Legendary “Fat Witch Bakery”, and is the author of this cookbook.  She exposes the secrets to all her brownie recipes and writes her story of how she founded Fat Witch Bakery.  I absolutely LOVE Patricia’s cookbook.  All of her brownie recipe are made in one 9 x 9 inch pan, all have less than 10 ingredients, and all can go from mixing bowl to lunchbox in an hour or less! 
The first brownie on our list to try was the White Chocolate Brownie, also know as the “Snow Witch” brownie.  It was light, buttery and flavorful, and Patricia writes is “one of our top sellers, as the combination of creamy white chocolate, butter, and vanilla is so sensational after one bite, I promise even the most discerning aficionado will be converted”.  I’ve never had a white chocolate brownie before, but it was quite good.  They remind me of a cross between Neiman Marcus Cake/Gooey Butter Cake and our homemade Granola Bars.  Try it today and see what you think…they are very different, but very good!  Enjoy!
Melt white chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly.
Beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla together in a large bowl until smooth.   

Add the white chocolate mixture and mix until well combined.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the batter.  Mix until well combined.

Spread batter evenly into greased and floured 9 x 9 inch baking pan.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the top is light brown and cracked.  Turn off the oven, leaving the pan inside for 8 minutes.  At this time, a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Remove pan from oven and let cool on a rack for 1 hour.

Cool completely on a rack for 1 hour.  Cut just before serving.

Snow Witches (White Chocolate Brownies)
Ingredients
6 ounces coarsely chopped white chocolate or 3/4 cup high-quality white chocolate chips
5 tbsp unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Directions
1.  Grease a 9-inch x 9 baking pan with butter.  Dust with flour and tap out the excess.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Melt the white chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly to make sure it doesn’t burn.  Remove from the heat before it is completely melted and continue stirring until it is completely smooth.  Set aside to cool.
3.  Beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla together in a large bowl until smooth.  Add the white chocolate mixture and mix until well combined.
4.  Measure the flour, baking powder, and salt and sift together directly into the batter.  Mix until well combined and no trace of the dry ingredients remains.  Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan with a spatula.
5.  Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is light brown and cracked.  Turn off the oven, leaving the pan inside for 8 more minutes.  After that time, a toothpick inserted in the center should come our clean or with only crumbs, not batter, on it.
6.  Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for 1 hour.  Cut just before serving.
Yield:  12 to 18 bars