Mrs. Fields & iVillage 30th Anniversary Cookie Contest (686 photos) Bar Cookies (22 photos)

Un-4-Gettables

I think of cookies as Love Bites and am always on the lookout for a good recipe. When I heard about Mrs Field's 30th Anniversary event, I hit the kitchen and developed this recipe specifically for this contest. I tested and refined it numerous times to get it right---I hope you like it. Four delicious ways to love 'em---White chocolate-covered pretzels, dark chocolate chips, buttery caramel in a tender Toll-style dough, topped with toasted pecans. Here's goes:

Un-4-Gettables

RECIPE

To Make the Caramel Pieces:
6 Tbs Unsalted Butter
3 Tbs Honey
3 Tbs Half & Half or Heavy Cream
2 Tbs Maple Syrup
1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, Packed

In a heavy sauce pan, heat Butter over medium heat until it bubbles. Mix together Honey, Syrup and Cream and pour into Butter. Add Sugar, stirring constantly until mixture bubbles. Once bubbling is active and even, stop stirring and let it cook for three minutes. Pour onto a parchment-lined baking pan so it forms an even puddle. Chill to harden (freezer is best). Remove from cooler and break (with fingers) into 1/2 inch pieces. Put them back in the cooler until ready to add to cookie dough.

To Make the White Chocolate-Covered Pretzels (also available ready-made at grocery)
1 Twelve-Ounce Bag White Chocolate (Guittard, Choc au Lait)
2 Cups Small, Bite-Size Pretzels (Snyder's Snaps work best)

Melt Chocolate in a double boiler. Fold in Pretzels and cover evenly. Place pieces on a wire rack to cool and harden. Space so they don't touch.

Cookie Dough
1 1/3 Cup Cake Flour (Softasilk)
1 1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour (King Arthur)
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/4 Cup Butter (2 Sticks plus 4 Tbs), Softened
1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, Packed
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Tbs Maple Syrup
2 Large Eggs
1 Tbs Vanilla
1 Bag 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate (11.5 oz bag, Ghiradelli)
1 1/4 Cup Caramel Pieces
2 Cups Chopped Pecans, Coarse Chop
2 Cups Chocolate-Covered Pretzels

Mix flours and soda well in separate bowl. Cream together Butter, Sugars, Syrup, Eggs and Vanilla. By hand, blend with dry ingredients. Mix in Chocolate Chips and Caramel Pieces. Gently fold in pretzels. Spread in a rimmed baking pan (11 x 13 inch). Top with chopped pecans. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes. Cut into bars.