Butterscotch Sugar Cookies

Here's another cookie recipe from that Joanne Fluke murder with recipes book I read that wasn't very good but this recipe is! In fact, I gave some to my sis and asked for their opinion - she said Brooke deemed them "money" ... 'nuf said.

The recipe says it makes 5-7 dozen but I did not want 5-7 dozen cookies so I cut the recipe in half...and it still made 4.5 dozen. Fortunately they are so good that everyone wants them and I don't "have" to eat them all myself ;)

The only other change I made is to stir whole butterscotch chips into the batter - I only did a big handful but it's a really good addition and next time I will had lots more! Here is the original recipe, cut all ingredients in half if you want less cookies - and add chips to the batter if you want (and you do!).

Oh, and by the way - I don't think I've ever made a batch of cookies that turned out so uniform in size and shape! These would be perfect to package in a rectangle carton or anything that makes them line up in a straight row.

• 2 cups salted butter (4 sticks)
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup white sugar in a bowl for coating the cookie dough balls before baking

Preheat oven to 325', rack in the middle of oven.

Melt the butter and butterscotch chips in a microwave-safe bowl by putting the chips on the bottom of the bowl and the butter on top of that. Heat for one minute on high, let the bowl sit in the microwave for one minute, and then try to stir it smooth. If you can, you're done. If not, continue to heat in 30-second intervals until you can stif the mixture smooth. Set in on the counter to cool.

When the mixture has cooled to slightly above room temperature, pour it into a mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the powdered sugar and the white sugar. Beat until the mixture is smooth. 

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract until it's well combined. Add the baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix until everything is thoroughly combined.

Add the flour in half-cup increments, mixing after each addition. (The reason for this is adding it all at once will go all over the counter when you turn the mixer on! Add the flour slowly). Note: Stir in the butterscotch chips by hand if you are adding them.

Prepare you cookie sheets either by spraying them with non-stick baking spray, or line them with parchment paper.

Place a half-cup of white sugar in a bowl. Roll one-inch cookie dough balls with your fingers (I use a 2 teaspoon scooper to form the balls). Dip the dough balls in the sugar and roll around until they are coated. Place the balls on the cookie sheet, 12 dough balls to a standard size sheet.

Flatten the dough balls with a metal spatula (or your fingertips). This will make them bake evenly. If you leave them on the cookie sheet without flattening them, they will flatten out during baking, but the insides will be chewy instead of melt-in-your-mouth crispy.

Bake at 325' for 12 minutes until lightly golden around the edges. 

Makes 5-7 dozen cookies.

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