Chocolate-Toffee Shortbread Fingers

Listen to the interview.

Cookie swaps are hip yet old-school, trendy yet traditional, creative, inexpensive, and a great way to entertain and Lauren Chattman has written the book them, literally. Lauren  is a cookbook author and former professional pastry chef. She lives with her family in Sag Harbor, New York.Her latest book is called Cookie Swap and she joined us on Amys Table today to discuss the finer points of hosting your own swap.

While her cookbook is packed with cookie recipes, Lauren recognizes that not everyone is a baker. She’s shared this no-baked cookie idea so that everyone can participate!

Chocolate-Toffee Shortbread Fingers

Walker’s Shortbread comes as close to a homemade cookie as anything you’ll find in a supermarket aisle. It’s made with the same pure ingredients—flour, butter, sugar, and salt—that you would use yourself. And when you dip these cookies in chocolate and coat them with nuts and toffee, well, you can imagine how tempting they are.

Sometimes you can find Walkers Shortbread discounted at the warehouse clubs or at Target. If you do, grab as many boxes as you can (Walker’s says its shortbread will stay fresh, unopened, for more than a year). That way you’ll be prepared for any cookie swap invitation that comes along.

½ cup toasted and cooled pecans, coarsely chopped

¾ cup Heath Bits ‘O Brickle Toffee bits or skor or Heath bars, coarsely chopped

1 bag (12 ounces) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 packages (8.8-ounces each) Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread Fingers (48 cookies total)

1. Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the nuts and toffee bits in a shallow bowl.

2. Combine the chocolate and oil in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat the chocolate in the microwave on high until melted, 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on the strength of your microwave. Stir until smooth. (Alternatively, place water to a depth of 1 inch in the bottom of a double boiler or a large saucepan and bring to a bare simmer. Place the chocolate chips and oil in the top of the double boiler or in a stainless steel bowl big enough to rest on top of the saucepan without touching the water. Heat, whisking occasionally, until the chocolate is melted.)

3. Hold a cookie by one end and dip it into the chocolate, turning, to coat three quarters of the cookie; let the excess drip back into the bowl. Hold the cookie over the bowl of nuts and toffee bits and sprinkle some of the mixture onto the chocolate-coated top and sides of the cookie. Place the cookie on a prepard baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Let the cookies rest until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

Chocolate-Toffee Shortbread Fingers will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.