Salt and Pepper Butterscotch-Pine Nut Cookies

By Brie

Catherine Wilkinson from Dewey, Arizona shared one of her favorite cookie recipes with The Chew for their cookie swap. We loved it and so will you.
This was the 1st annual cookie swap winner.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon at room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 1 bag (11 oz.) butterscotch chips
• 1 handful pine nuts (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 tablespoon flakey sea salt (I like to use Maldon salt
• )1 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.


In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and table salt. Set aside.


In a large mixing non-metallic bowl, with an electric beater, cream together the 2 sticks of butter, sugars and vanilla. If too stiff (you want the consistency of butter cream frosting), place bowl in microwave for 10-20 seconds.


Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating for 10 seconds after each egg.


Beat in flour, in two or three additions. Stir in butterscotch chips.


Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a small non-stick skillet – add pine nuts and toast, stirring with wooden spoon, being careful not to burn – pine nuts burn easily! If you burn them, start over! Remove from heat when butter is brown and foamy and pine nuts are perfectly golden and let cool for a few minutes, and then stir in salt and pepper.


Add to cookie dough, making sure to scrap all the brown butter goodness into bowl, and stir to incorporate.


Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place scant tablespoonfuls of dough onto paper, spacing about 1 inch apart. Cookies will spread. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Remove and let cool on sheets for 3-4 minutes, remove cookies to racks and continue to cool until room temperature. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.