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Sycamore Kitchen’s Oatmeal Cookies with Coconut Toffee

Sycamore Kitchen's Oatmeal Cookies with Coconut Toffee

Sycamore Kitchen’s Oatmeal Cookies with Coconut Toffee were developed by Los Angeles pastry chef “extraordinaire” Karen Hatfield. They are big, but you’ll still find yourself wanting more. These dense, chewy cookies are made all the more special with the addition of coconut toffee, which gets embedded onto the top of each cookie halfway through baking. This unexpected dichotomy of sweet and salty with the crunch and chew of sweet toffee makes for an extra special oatmeal cookie.

Sycamore Kitchen’s Oatmeal Cookies with Coconut Toffee 

Print This Recipe Total time Yield 12Source Adapted from the Los Angeles TimesPublished
Sycamore Kitchen's Oatmeal Cookies with Coconut Toffee

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ cup unsalted butter (divided)
  • 12 ounce granulated sugar (divided, about 1½ cup plus 3 tablespoons )
  • water
  • 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt (divided, plus more for lining edges of cookies)
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 ½ cup unsweetened coconut
  • 8½ ounce old-fashioned oats (about 2 ½ cups)
  • all-purpose flour (about 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ ounce wheat germ (about ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon)
  • 3.3 ounce dark brown sugar (about ¼ cup plus a scant 2 tablespoons )
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Make the coconut Toffee: Melt 1 cup butter in a heavy, 2‑quart or larger saucepan over medium-high heat. As soon as the butter begins to get foamy, whisk in 7 ounces granulated sugar, water and 1 teaspoon salt, scraping down the sides. Lower the heat to medium. Do not stir until the toffee begins to color, about 13 minutes. When it is the color of peanut butter, remove from heat and immediately add the coconut, stirring to combine. Spread the mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet so the toffee is no thicker than ¼ inch. Cool completely, then break into pieces about 2 inches in diameter. Set aside 12 of the most uniform pieces for the cookies. This recipe makes more toffee than is needed for the cookies; the extra toffee will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, up to five days.

Make the Oatmeal Cookies: In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder and soda, remaining ½‑teaspoon salt, and wheat germ. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together remaining 1 ¼ cups butter with the brown sugar and remaining 5 ounces granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 6 to 8 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl, add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Scrape again, then add the dry ingredients in two additions, beating just until combined. 

Dump the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Form it into a 9‑inch square, about 1‑inch thick. Wrap the dough tightly in a couple layers of plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to bake: Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Portion the cookies by cutting the square of dough crosswise into 3 equal sections and lengthwise into 4 equal sections, giving you 12 uniform rectangles of dough. Roll each rectangle into a ball, then flatten slightly, sprinkling a little kosher salt on the edges. Space the cookies a few inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet(s) (they will spread), and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place a 2‑inch piece of toffee on top of each cookie, pressing down on each gently.

Return to the oven and bake until the cookies are a medium golden color and the edges of the toffee have melted, about 8 minutes more. Move the baking sheet(s) to a wire rack and let the cookies cool.