When I was younger, I remember having a sugar cookie recipe that would bake up into the most pillowy, thick, melt-in-your-mouth cookies ever. It was my undisputed favorite recipe for sugar cookies. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to keep track of that recipe through the years, and I have been searching for it ever since!

I've tried many sugar cookie recipes, but all of them end up so disappointing. I'd watch as my promising (and well-chilled) dough would sink and flatten out into pitiful little pancakes as they baked. It was very sad, indeed.

So this Christmas, I decided to try again to find the secret to those thick sugary pillows from my childhood to make for our holiday celebration with our friends this weekend. While thinking long and hard, I suddenly had a vague memory rise to the surface of my mind... that old recipe used sour cream, I was sure of it.

After peeking at my failed recipes, I noticed that none of them included sour cream, so I had an ingredient around which to narrow my search. I kept seeing the same recipe popping up over and over again, promising soft Lofthouse style sugar cookies. You know the ones - you see them in the bakery section of your grocery store covered in thick colored buttercream and sprinkles. So... I gave it a go.

Yes!! Finally! As the cookies were baking, I camped out in front of the oven door, expecting them to deflate and flatten into the typical, sad little frisbees that I'm so used to. But that didn't happen. Nope, this time I watched as, incredibly, the cookies got bigger, and thicker, and fluffier.

But I didn't want to stop there. The beauty of a mild sugar cookie with a great texture is the fact that it is the perfect base for all kinds of delicious things - like frosting or dipping in chocolate. To finish these off, I dipped half of each cookie into melted chocolate and then topped with crushed Heath bars.

I'm determined never to lose this recipe again.

Chocolate Toffee Dipped Sugar Cookies

Author: Erin Browne
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 7 mins
Total Time: 27 mins
Yield: 5-6 dozen 1x

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

FOR COOKIES:
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups white granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups sour cream
FOR CHOCOLATE:
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 TBS shortening
Crushed Heath bars or toffee bits, for sprinkling

Instructions

In a medium bowl, toss together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a stand mixer, cream the butter and white sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated.
Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat at low speed until combined.
Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.
Divide dough into two sections. Flatten into rectangles about 1 ½ inches thick (this will make rolling it out easier), then wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator overnight or at least two hours until firm.
Preheat the oven to 425F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Flour the counter, the top of the dough, and your hands. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to ¼-inch thickness.
Using a 2.5 round cookie cutter, cut out circles and transfer to a baking sheet.
Alternately, you can use floured hands to shape cookies into 2.5 inch discs roughly ¼-inch thick.
Bake for 7 minutes, until pale golden. Allow to cool completely on wire rack before dipping.
For chocolate, melt semi-sweet chips and shortening on a double boiler on low heat, or in the microwave in 30-40 second intervals at 50% power.
Dip cooled cookies halfway into the chocolate, place on wax paper and immediately sprinkle with toffee bits.