Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups chopped Butterfinger candy bars (about 3 full bars)
- ½ cup caramel bits or soft caramel candies, chopped into small pieces
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional, for extra crunch)
Substitution tips: For a dairy-free option, swap the butter for a plant-based spread. If you prefer a nut-free cookie, simply leave out the walnuts or pecans without sacrificing much crunch because of the Butterfinger pieces. And if you can’t find caramel bits, soft caramel candies chopped finely work just as well.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. This simple step always reminds me of my mum’s meticulous prep—no shortcuts in her kitchen.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Setting the dry ingredients aside, as my mum taught me, keeps the process smooth and stress-free.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter with both sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed. Beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. This step is where patience pays off—like waiting for a stew to simmer just right.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract. The mixture should be silky and smooth, just like the batter I used to sneak a spoonful of as a child.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Overmixing can make cookies tough, a lesson I learned the hard way in my early baking days.
- Fold in the chopped Butterfinger candy bars, caramel bits, and nuts if using. I love this part because the kitchen fills with the sweet scent of caramel and chocolate, a scent that’s pure comfort.
- Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, drop rounded balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. This spacing allows the cookies to spread gently without sticking together.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the centres still look slightly soft. This is the sweet spot—cookies will firm up as they cool, just like the Sunday roasts that needed their resting time.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. These few minutes are crucial; I remember my mum saying, “Patience is the secret ingredient in baking.”
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: International
