Big and Chewy Speculoos Toffee Cookies
There are several ‘downsides’ to living in Lansing, but if I had to pick the biggest one, it would have be that we don’t have access to certain foods and restaurants. Quite a few, actually. It’s gotta be one of the lamest capital cities in the country, so far as food goes.
As well as other things. But for the sake of this post, let’s just focus on the food.
I think one of the most egregious sins of our Food Desert is that we don’t have a Waffle House. I haven’t had a Waffle House waffle (the best waffle I’ve EVER had) since I visited my aunt in Georgia 5+ years ago. This just should not be. Granted, there are no Waffle Houses in Michigan period, but still…I take it especially personal that there isn’t one in my city.
Second: We don’t have an In-N-Out-Burger. From what I gather, a burger from In-N-Out is…well…everything. What I wouldn’t give to find out for myself.
There are no joints in Lansing where I can go to get a traditional, delicious NYC-style pizza. So far as pizza places go, we’re pretty much limited to the ‘big chains’- and neither of those count. (Especially since Pizza Hut axed the Big New Yorker pizza from their menu years ago *throws stank eye*)
We don’t have a Costco. Yep; you heard that right. No Costco.
We had a Krispy Kreme. It closed. In retrospect, it may have been for the best- for my thighs, I mean. But sometimes, I still miss seeing that Hot ‘n Ready neon red sign glowing in their window.
Finally, should either of you ever choose to pay a visit to the capital city of Michigan, be advised: there is no Trader Joe’s to be found here. Don’t ask me why this is. I really couldn’t tell you.
But it is a shame: Trader Joe’s is one of those stores that I just really like walking around in and looking at everything, trying to come up with various excuses as to why I should buy ‘this’ and ‘that’ and ‘that and that and that’. They just have a lot of really good products, including but not limited to this unbelievably AMAZING product called Cookie Butter.
Cookie Butter, for those who are unfamiliar with it, is made of Speculoos cookies that have been pulverized and blended with vegetable oils until they form a smooth spread that has a peanut-butter consistency.
It.is.MARVELOUS. There are imitators out there, but don’t be fooled: TJ’s makes the best.
The nearest Trader Joe’s to us in Michigan is in Ann Arbor. So, the last time that my older sister was driving up through the area, she stopped by a Trader Joe’s and bought me a jar each of Crunchy and Creamy Trader Joe’s Cookie butter.
So I know what you’re probably thinking: “Jess, what’s the point of using COOKIE butter to just make more COOKIES?”
My answer to that would have to be…because I wanted to.
And you know what? I think it turned out pretty darn good.
I referenced a recipe that I’ve used before for to make really awesome peanut butter cookies, then tweaked it a little to make it work for this idea. To give the cookies some texture, I mixed in some Heath toffee bits to the dough. Yeah. It was definitely one of my better ideas.
I’m super pumped to be able to co-host this week’s Fiesta Friday #79 along with Loretta@SafarioftheMind. Be sure to come on over and join us with your own recipes to share-it’s always a blast!
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Big and Chewy Speculoos Toffee Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup creamy or chunky Speculoos cookie butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3/4 cup Heath toffee bits
Directions
Cream together both sugars, the butter and the Speculoos cookie butter until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and salt and stir to combine.
In separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and corn starch together with whisk or fork until well combined. Slowly add it to the wet mixture, mixing until well incorporated.
Using the lowest speed of mixer, or by hand, stir in the Heath toffee bits.
Refrigerate cookie dough at least one hour, preferably overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheet pans with parchment paper.
Using a 1/4 cup measure, spoon out portions of dough and roll into balls. Place onto sheet pans and slightly flatten with the bottom of a glass or the top of your hand.
Bake cookies for 12 minutes, or until bottoms just being to brown, rotating the baking pans halfway through.
Allow cookies to sit on the baking pans for about 3-5 minutes, before moving to cooling rack to completely cool.
Hiya Jess, great to be co-hosting with you. I had to laugh out loud at you whining about all the stuff that Lansing, Michigan does not have……but on second thoughts, no I felt bad :(. Love Trader Joe’s, so would definitely be missing that. I’ve bookmarked this recipe for the next time that I visit TJ, so I can pick up this creamy cookie butter and try out your recipe. Those cookies look amazing! Thanks for your contribution 🙂
Awesome, thanks Loretta 🙂
Oh goodness, I had no idea that Lansing had so few foodie options! I’ve only visited a couple times and I think I ate a Jimmy Johns both times 😉 As always, your cookies look absolutely divine Jess!
Yeah. It’s pretty lame- as an alumni, I’m a diehard Spartan fan, but one thing (ONE thing lol) I will concede to Ann Arbor is that they have us beat in the food game.
Thanks Heather 🙂
Yikes. Lansing sounds depressing for the tastebuds. I’ve not been to Trader Joe’s much since arriving in America and even then just for a grab and dash (ours is in an awkward location) so next time I go I will need to seek out this (now legendary in my head) cookie butter. You’ve sold me entirely on my need to try it.
…Depressing for the tastebuds and among other things, Laura lol But yes! You absolutely MUST try cookie butter- I think it’ll make you want to try these cookies too. Thank you 🙂
When I get my mitts on some of the cookie butter, I will definitely return to check out this recipe. I have never been to Lansing – have not yet been to Michigan in fact – but you are not doing the best job of selling it to me. 😀
Holy crap. These look amazing!
Thanks Alisa- I can promise that the taste doesn’t disappoint either 🙂
I cannot stop drooling looking at these cookies !
Then I’ve definitely done my job right 😉 Thank you Sandhya!
I eat this stuff by the jar 😉 Love these cookies. Thanks so much for the great recipe!
Thank you Sarah- I’m a recent cookie butter convert, I LOOK for different things to do with it 🙂
OMG these cookies look amazingly delicious! Big, soft and chewy just like a gourmet bakery cookie – pinned for later:)
Awesome Lily, let me know how you liked them. Thank you!
Those look fabulous! Especially with toffee–that is one of my favorite cookie flavors 🙂
It’s one of my favorite as well June, thank you for your kind words 🙂
I haven’t tried so many of these things! I haven’t ever had speculoos but the cookies sound amazing!
Please do try speculoos Corina, it’s VERY tasty. Thank you!
These look decadent and soooo good! 🙂
They are decadent- but SO worth it. Thanks 😉
Looks like we both had toffee on our minds this week, Jess! These cookies look so good and chewy cookies are the best! 🙂
I noticed that Nancy- great minds DO think alike lol Thank you 😉
They look so gooood! 🙂
Why thank you 😉
I am a die-hard Michigan fan (a little rivalry here LOL) and yes Ann Arbor has just about everything – that’s why I love it here 🙂 The cookies look delicious and a great choice to share… thanks for co-hosting Fiesta Friday .
Oh boy. I will REALLY try not to hold that loyalty against you…I’ll just pretend it was a typo. 😉
Thanks, Happy FF 🙂
These look delicious! I live in Columbia, South Carolina and we were not so on g ago also a deprived capital. We’ve always had excellent local restaurants but no Trader Joe’s until almost two years ago. As for Waffle House I could live without them, nothing but grease. Too many other better places to eat. That being said nostalgia does play a big role in some restaurants I miss!
Haha, see I love the greasy joint food- the WHs by my aunt’s house were all pretty good- trust me, as greasy as they are, they’re still much better than what we’re stuck with up North. Thanks 🙂
Ooooooooh I’m in heaven!! I LOVE cookie butter (wayyyy too much lol), and toffee cookies are one of my favorites, so these are just perfect!
No such thing as loving cookie butter too much. Nope, I refuse to believe that. lol
Thank you Amanda <3
Fascinated by your use of Speculoos cookie butter Jess – will try to get hold of some at some point (or the cookies!). It must be a great flavour. On a French realty show they used speculoos too in their cakes in one episode. Thanks for the explanations and also for cohosting FF this week! Hope you’ve had a good weekend! 🙂
Thank you Lili, it’s always fun when I get to co-host, and I was really excited to be able to share this recipe with y’all 🙂
Oh no Jess!! If it makes you feel better, where I am in MO – there is no trader joes, or NYC style pizza or Costco either 🙁 But we do have waffle house!
It’s pretty sucky not to have access to good ingredients, and I feel your pain! 🙁
BUT THOSE COOKIES! If you have those cookies, things would be ok right? they look AMAZING! 😀 I need to pick up a bottle of speculoos cookie butter!
I’m coping with it as best I can Dini- although at times, it is VERY frustrating. There are several recipes that I know if I ever want to make, I’ll have to resort to just ordering the ingredients that I know I need online because I just won’t be able to find them myself.
The cookies DO make up for it. They make the drive to Ann Arbor for the cookie butter MORE than worth it lol
Thank you <3
The speculoos cookies look really scrumptious! I have also wanted to buy cookie butter from Trader Joe’s, maybe the next time I will! Thank you for co-hosting this week’s FF, Jess.
I absolutely recommend it Apsara- it’s one of the best things I’ve ever tasted, and that’s really saying something, as I love to eat lol Thank you!
It’s almost lunchtime here and I’m drooling at the sight of these cookies! So close…so close… XD
Jess this looks just freakin dangerous! Cookie butter? We have a Trader Joes and I too love that store. Like Lansing though no N and out burger or waffle house. Maybe we should start our own and become rich fat and happy? Well maybe not but I will be pinning these cookies!
Oh my goodness these cookies look amazing!!
I loved this post, Jess! For one thing, you answered a question I have been wondering for a long time – what is cookie butter. Thank you! I feel for you about all those places you are missing. They are some of my favorites. Our Krispy Kreme closed down, too. I miss it, but also probably better for my thighs! 🙂 Your cookies look like they would just melt in your mouth. What a brilliant idea to use the cookie butter in place of peanut butter in your cookie recipe! Pinning this!
Speculoos has got to be my favorite taste, smell, spice mix!! I love it!
Made them! Loved them! Just posted them with a link to your blog. Thanks, Jess! <3