There is no doubt about it, this cookie is total crunch. It has crushed toffee, big pieces of walnuts, and a crisp brown sugar cookie base to hold it all together. To avoid pieces of toffee skidding around the kitchen, leave the candy bars in their wrappers when you crush them with a hammer or meat pounder.
makes about twelve 4- to 5-inch-long irregularly shaped cookies • cookie making 15 minutes • cookie baking 350 degrees for about 19 minutes
1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups (about 7 ounces) crushed chocolate-covered toffee, such as Heath Bars or Skor
1 cup (about 4 ounces) walnuts, broken into large pieces
Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, stir the flour, baking soda, and salt together; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth, about 30 seconds. Use a large spoon to stir in the flour mixture. The dough should look smooth. Stir in the crushed toffee and walnuts. The dough will look crumbly.
Leaving a 1- to 1½-inch border empty on all sides, spoon the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Press the dough into a rectangle that measures about 13 by 9 inches and is about ½ inch thick, then use the palms of your hands to pat it into an even layer.
Bake until the top feels firm and looks dark golden and the edges look light brown, about 19 minutes. Let the cookie brittle cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then use a large metal spatula to slide the cookie onto a wire rack to cool. (Don’t worry if the cookie breaks; it will be broken into pieces when cool.) The cookie will become crisp as it cools.
Break the cooled cookie into 4- to 5-inch pieces. The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.