Welcome to peak cookie season! I’m sure you need another cookie recipe like a hole in the head right now. But here I am with a recipe for these Salted Toffee Cashew Cookies. I’m sorry, they were too good not to share. These golden beauties are classic slice-and-bake shortbread cookies packed with butterscotch chips, Skor bits, and cashews. The cookies are then rolled in Maldon salt and raw sugar before being sliced and baked until golden. Loving this recipe requires having a taste for salty-sweet combos. So if that is your idea of a good time, let’s get into it!
When I was initially testing these Salted Toffee Cashew Cookies, I over-salted the dough. I personally love when caramel and salt team up, so while the cookies were not what I wanted or expected, I was intrigued by my mistake. The cookies had an almost saltwater-taffy quality to them—in terms of flavor, not texture—and I was here for it.
Those initial cookies lacked enough sweetness to balance the salty, so I added butterscotch chips and went light on the salt in the dough itself. Then I rolled the finished dough in Maldon salt – the king of all salts in my humble opinion. I was left with a cookie that delivered salt as its opening flavor volley. The saltiness then gave way to sweet and complex notes of caramelized sugar. The cookies themselves were blinged out in a coating of glittery salt and raw sugar, similar to ice crystals collecting on a frosty windowpane. This to me is and was Christmas Cookie perfection.
To make these Salted Toffee Cashew Cookies place room-temperature unsalted butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the butter for 5 minutes just to loosen it up. Add some brown sugar and cream the two together until light and fluffy. I like light brown sugar because it doesn’t change the color of the cookie. Keeping the cookies fairly blonde in appearance allows for more contrast between the cookie itself and its mix-ins. I also prefer the texture of the cookie. A darker brown sugar would result in a chewier cookie, though. So if that is something you’re into, perhaps you should try using dark brown sugar.
To the butter and sugar add a bit of salt. We want to keep things fairly conservative here because we’re going to roll the cookies in salt later on. But completely unsalted cookie dough is just not something I can abide by, so a quarter of a teaspoon is my compromise. Crack in an egg and add some vanilla extract or the caviar of one vanilla bean. Extract is fine and dandy but there’s something about vanilla caviar. If you can get a bean for a relatively good price, I cannot recommend buying one enough.
Scrape the bowl of the mixer down and add your flour. Mix until the dough comes together. And from here all that remains is to add your mix-ins. As I mentioned I used coarsely chopped cashews, butterscotch chips, and Skor bits. But honestly, you could add whatever you fancy. Just try to keep the total amount of your mix-ins to one cup. Any more than that and you’ll overwhelm the cookie. They’ll also be a bitch to slice. And I don’t want you working too hard – it is Christmas after all.
Pile the dough onto a counter and form it into a ball. Cut the ball in half and roll each half into logs about 2.5” or 6.5cm in diameter. Roll the logs up in parchment paper and transfer them to the fridge. Let them chill for at least four hours. I let mine go overnight. You guys know I’m usually fairly easygoing, but this step is absolutely non-negotiable. The cookies will not slice or bake properly if the dough hasn’t had ample time to set up. I know I’m asking a lot because patience is certainly a virtue but cookie-related patience? Well, that is saint-worthy, so thank you.
In a bowl, mix a tablespoon of Maldon salt with two tablespoons of coarse raw sugar. I’m using raw sugar because I want the grains to stand out and sparkle after the cookies are baked. I’m using Maldon for the same reason. I think Maldon salt flakes are the most attractive salt flakes. Sprinkle the salt and sugar mixture onto the counter and unwrap your cookie dough. Roll the logs in the sugar and salt mixture and slice each log into 12-14 cookies. Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies in a 350°F oven for 12-14 minutes or until golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
And that is everything you need to know about these Salted Toffee Cashew Cookies. A worthy addition to any cookie box and a thoughtful last-minute homemade hostess gift. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate and the Happiest of Holidays to everyone else!
Enjoy!
Salted Toffee Cashew Cookies
Equipment
- 1 hand or stand mixer
- 2 Large Baking Sheets
- 2 large silicon baking mats optional
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 75g (2.6oz) unsalted roasted cashews coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup butterscotch chips
- ¼ cup Skor bits
- 2 tbsp turbinado sugar
- 1 tbsp Maldon salt
Instructions
- Place the butter in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the butter for 5 minutes. Add the light brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy.¾ cup unsalted butter, ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and use the blunt edge of a knife to scrap out the caviar. ** If you don't have a vanilla bean, use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract instead. Place the caviar in the mixing bowl and add the salt. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat until well-integrated.1 vanilla bean, ¼ tsp salt
- Add the egg to the mixer and beat until well mixed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour. Beat until the dough comes together. Add the cashews, butterscotch chips, and the Skor bits. Beat until just integrated.1 large egg, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 75g (2.6oz) unsalted roasted cashews, ¼ cup butterscotch chips, ¼ cup Skor bits
- Place the finished dough on the counter and form it into a ball. Cut the ball in half and roll each half into a log roughly 2.5 inches (6.35cm) in diameter. Wrap the logs in parchment paper and transfer them to the frigde. Let chill for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.
- When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with silicon baking mats or parchment paper and set them aside.
- In a small bowl, stir to combine the turbinado sugar and Maldon salt. Sprinkle the mixture onto the counter and unwrap the cookie dough. Roll both logs in the salt and sugar mixture until thoroughly encrusted.2 tbsp turbinado sugar, 1 tbsp Maldon salt
- Slice each log into 12-14 cookies and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets. Space the cookies about 2 inches apart and transfer them to the oven. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
