Oatmeal Toffee Birthday Cookies

I'm writing today to assure you that there's no shame in a recipe from the back of a bag. If a manufacturer thinks something is fab enough to make it to the bag, it's probably been tested and perfected (especially when that manufacturer is Hershey)! Which brings me to my next recipe.

This cookie recipe was one I got from a bag of Hershey's Heath Bits O' Brickle (I swear that's what they're called), which are basically just toffee bits. Back in the day when Brad was still living in Kansas City and I was in Philly, I would make these cookies and ship them out his way — and at some point, they were deemed his favorite. So, in honor of his 31st birthday (happy birthday, Brad!) I threw a batch together.

These cookies have a very unique and deliciously chewy texture from the marriage of the toffee and oatmeal. (Speaking of marriage, happy 36th anniversary to my awesome parents! But I digress.) And they're delicious with a little milk.

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies (makes about 5 dozen cookies)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 8 oz. bag toffee bits
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

Directions:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease your cookie sheets (using the paper wrappers from the butter is good for this!).
• Beat the butter and brown sugar. Then beat in eggs and vanilla until well-blended. In a separate smaller bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to the butter mixture until blended. Stir in oats, toffee, and coconut until just combined. 

• Drop dough by rounded teaspoon about two inches apart on your greased cookie sheet (I like using a spring-release ice cream scoop to keep the cookies uniform in size). 

• Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. I prefer them on the chewier side, so I stick to the lower end of that range. 
• Let cool for a minute on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack. Because the toffee will stick to the pan, I recommend using a thin, metal spatula to remove the cookies.

Just giving you fair warning that these are addictive!