Butterscotch Cookies

Makes 12 (but easily doubled)

When I was a kid, I used to love butterscotch flavoured anything, and nothing’s changed now I’m an adult. It’s funny, but butterscotch was so in vogue in the eighties when I was growing up. My favourite treat was butterscotch flavoured Angel Delight, a highly processed and highly delicious soft whip dessert. It’s only natural that now I’m a grown up (although I use the term loosely,) I should try my hand at butterscotch cookies.

As it happens, this recipe is testament to the enduring popularity of butterscotch. It was a reader recipe that I cut out of a magazine, and the recipe has been bringing cookie contentment for over 40 years – taste them and you’ll see why! The cookies are stand alone delicious, but the rice bubbles bring some snap, crackle and pop to the equation and the fudge and/or chocolate brings everything together so nicely. The butterscotch flavour comes courtesy of the golden syrup and it’s soooo good!

The thing I love about these cookies, is that once the dough is rolled, the dough balls can be frozen so that you can bake fresh cookies on demand, just cook for a minute or two extra if you’re baking from frozen. Of course, the easy part is baking the cookies, the tricky part is not eating them all in one go! Resistance is futile!

Do you think the eighties were greaties too? What’s your favourite family recipe?

Ingredients

100g butter

100g brown sugar

2 tablespoons golden syrup

175g self-raising flour

25g puffed rice cereal, like Rice Krispies

100g choc chips or fudge pieces

How to – Traditional

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan-forced. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and golden syrup until smooth.
Sift in the flour and mix together, then fold in the cereal and choc chips/fudge.
Roll heaped tablespoons of mixture into balls and place well spaced on baking sheet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Leave on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool.

How to – Thermomix

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan-forced. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Insert butterfly. Place butter, sugar and golden syrup in TM bowl. Mix for 30 seconds on speed 4. Scrape down sides and base of bowl. Repeat and mix for another 30 seconds on speed 4.
Remove the butterfly. Add the flour, set the dial to closed lid position and mix for 30 seconds on interval speed. Scrape down sides and base and repeat, mixing for 30 seconds on interval speed.
Add the cereal and choc chips/fudge and combine for 10 seconds on reverse speed 3.
Roll heaped tablespoons of mixture into balls and place, well spaced on baking sheet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Leave on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool.