Heath Bar Cookies

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Heath Bar Cookies are a chocolate lover's dream! Borrowing from the concept of "Better Than Anything" cakes, we're creating the ultimate "Better Than Anything" cookies -- gooey, caramel-loaded chocolate cookies are piled high with whipped cream frosting and garnished with crushed toffee bits.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Heath Bar Cookies

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Chilling Time 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours

Servings large (4-ounce) cookies

Calories 905kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $7.12

Equipment

1M Open Star Piping Tip & Piping Bags
Large Sheet Pan & Silicone Liner

Ingredients

Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon each: cornstarch, baking soda, fine sea salt
1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder Note 1
1/2 cup cake flour Note 2
3/4 cup all-purpose flour Note 3
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
12 Werther’s soft caramels unwrapped

Frosting

2 ounces brick-style full-fat cream cheese (not cream cheese from a tub)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 + 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Heath milk chocolate English Toffee Baking bits

US - Metric

Instructions

CREAM BUTTER AND SUGAR: Cut butter straight from the fridge into small cubes. Add the cubed butter and brown sugar to a large bowl (or stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment). Beat until completely combined and ultra creamy, about 3-4 minutes.
ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS: Add in the egg and vanilla. Beat until combined. Add in the cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Beat until just combined, scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed. Add in the cake flour (Read Note 4 first) and regular flour and again beat until combined. Don't over-beat the mixture. Add in the miniature and regular-sized chocolate chips. Fold the chips and cookies the dough with a spatula. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for 45 minutes up to 2 hours.
FORM COOKIE BALLS: After chilling, remove the bowl from the fridge and form cookie dough balls. Each ball should be just over 4 ounces (117 grams each). You should get 6 equal-sized balls from the dough. Roll into large balls and then split each ball in half and press 2 unwrapped caramels in the center. Roll the balls back up again, being careful to fully cover the caramels. Place cookie dough balls on a parchment-paper-lined sheet pan or plate and return to the fridge or freezer to chill for 15 more minutes.
BAKE: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line an extra-large sheet pan with a Silpat liner (parchment paper works, but the cookies bake better on a Silpat liner). Add 3 cookie dough balls to the pan, leaving plenty of space in between each cookie. Bake for 13-18 minutes, erring on the side of slightly under-baking (we think they're perfect at 15 minutes). They're slightly under-baked but will firm up to a nice and fudgy/chewy cookie as they set. Remove from the oven and immediately press the edges of the cookie inwards with the back of a metal spatula to get the perfect round bakery-style cookie. Let cookies stand on the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool and finish firming up here. Repeat process with the last 3 cookies.
FROSTING: Place the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a large bowl (fitted to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or use a hand mixer) and beat on medium speed until completely smooth. While beating on low speed, slowly add in the heavy cream and beat until just combined. Stop mixer and scrape sides with a spatula as needed. Once all the cream has been added in, increase the speed of the mixers to medium-high and beat until the frosting holds stiff peaks. Watch carefully to avoid over-beating. Gently fold in the vanilla with a spatula if adding.
DECORATE: Transfer whipped cream frosting to a piping bag fitted with an open star piping tip. Generously frost each cookie, equally dividing the frosting up by the 6 cookies.
(We use all the frosting between the 6 cookies -- these are supposed to be indulgent bakery-style cookies after all. :) If you don't want to use all the frosting on the cookies, frost as much as you'd like on cookies and save the rest to use as a fruit dip or addition to other desserts. Immediately top with crushed Heath bits (just sprinkle on top to desired preference). Cookies are best enjoyed within a couple of hours of making them; otherwise, the frosting will begin to soften or weep. (See Instruction #7 if you won't be eating these all at once).
STORAGE: Because of the frosting, these cookies don’t store or freeze well. If you’re going to have extra cookies that won’t be enjoyed the same day, I recommend storing the frosting and cookies separately and frosting right before serving. The frosting needs to be refrigerated in an airtight container, while the cookies do best when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. The frosting will store nicely for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge, but you'll need to whip it up again for a couple of minutes before adding to the cookies.

Notes

Note 1: Cocoa powder: The cocoa powder really sets these cookies apart; Dutch-process cocoa powder offers a more robust and intensely deep chocolate flavor -- I don't recommend using plain cocoa powder. Hershey’s® “Special Dark” cocoa powder is a Dutch-process cocoa powder that is readily found at most grocery stores.

Note 2: Cake flour: This flour is responsible for giving the cookies a fluffier, more delicate, tender crumb. It helps keep these cookies soft and chewy. We combine cake flour with all-purpose flour to get the perfect texture. Cake flour is typically found on the baking supplies aisle in the grocery store near other types of flour. I don't recommend a different flour substitute or making "homemade" cake flour -- it doesn't work the same in this recipe.

Note 3: Measuring: If you press a measuring cup into a bag of cake or regular flour and scoop, you will pack in way too much flour which affects the texture of these cookies. To properly measure your flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup until it’s overfilled. Then use the back of a table knife to level the measuring cup at the top. (Video visual here)

Nutrition