D- Sticky Toffee Swirled Cookies

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D is for dates, the key ingredient in sticky toffee pudding.  This recipe evolved from a friend's love of sticky toffee pudding, and the need to package that flavor in a shippable baked good.  What resulted was a deliciously rich and flavorful sugar cookie.  They freeze well, and are great both fresh and semi-frozen as well.  Because sometimes you just can't wait for it to thaw all the way.  Wonderfully chewy cookies, my idea of the perfect cookie texture.


Fair warning, that caramel icing is heckin' dangerous stuff.  Try not to get into it too much. 

Sticky Toffee Swirled Cookies

½ cup (7+1 tbsp, divided)/113 g butter, very soft
1 cup/200 g granulated sugar
1 tbsp light brown muscovado sugar
3 tbsp date caramel (recipe follows)
2 tbsp flour
1 large egg, at room temperature
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking soda
1½ cups + 2 tbsp/210 grams all-purpose flour
1 tbsp arrowroot powder (optional)

Icing (optional):
½-¾ cup powdered sugar
½ cup light brown muscovado sugar
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp whole milk
½ tsp vanilla

In a small bowl, stir together 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp light brown muscovado sugar, 2 tbsp flour, and date caramel until smooth. Set aside for later, at room temperature. 

In a large bowl, cream together the remaining 7 tablespoons butter, the granulated sugar, egg, salt, and vanilla until smooth, using a wooden spoon or dough whisk for about 1 minute. Stir in the baking soda.  Add the flour and gently stir to combine. Refrigerate the dough until it is less sticky but still soft and workable,  just 15 to 20 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line 2 large sheet pans with parchment. 


 Remove the dough from the refrigerator.  Take the reserved date caramel mixture and place 3 to 4 large spoonful over the dough, leaving space in between.  With a wide folding motion, swirl the date mixture into the cookie dough so you have streaks of caramel rippled throughout the dough.  Be sure not to over-mix at this stage, in order to keep with caramel stripes distinct. 


With a large cookie scoop, portion out 6 cookies per sheet.  Bake until lightly golden at the edges and dry and set in the center, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through.  Leave the cookies to cool completely on the pans; they will flatten slightly and continue cooking and setting as they cool.  These cookies will freeze or they will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. 

 

For optional (but highly recommended) icing:

Heat the butter and brown sugar in a pot while stirring over medium heat and cook until it comes to a boil (it will look grainy).  Add the milk, stir, and bring the mixture back to a boil (the sugar will dissolve after adding the milk).  Remove the pan from the heat, and add ½ cup powdered sugar and vanilla.  Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.  Add enough powdered sugar to reach either a glaze or drizzle consistency as desired.  The icing will set relatively quickly, reheat if necessary to loosen it up for drizzling.

Date caramel 
(makes more than needed for cookies, cannot be reduced)*:

20 medjool dates
200 ml (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) milk or cream (any kind, I used dairy cream)
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Place whole dates in a medium bowl.  Cover with boiling water and let soak for 30 minutes.

When the water has cooled, remove the pits and place the dates into a high-speed blender or food processor.

Add the milk, sea salt, and vanilla, and blend until smooth and creamy.  Stop and scrape down the sides every minute or so then blend again.  Depending on the strength of the blender, this can take up to 10 minutes.

Once the caramel is perfectly smooth, transfer to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to two month. 

* The date caramel requires a full batch to be able to blend properly, but it freezes beautifully and makes amazing spread for scones, toast, English muffins, etc.  Heat a little and pour over vanilla ice cream.  You won't have any trouble going through it once you taste it. 

Here are some more letter D recipes:

Comments

  1. A Day in the Life on the FarmFebruary 18, 2026 at 4:21 AM

    How interesting that you and Stacy shared date caramel today. I had never heard of it before.

    ReplyDelete

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