Butterfinger Chocolate Chip Cookies

A while ago, I was at the grocery store and stumbled across a display of fun size Butterfinger candy bars.  Why is this significant?  Because they were .50 per bag.  No that is not a typo, and yes you read that right.  I bought an embarrassing number of bags, because, hello?  Why would you not?  My oldest Hungry Puppy voted to just eat them, but I was having visions of all kinds of Butterfinger baked goods.  Like these cookies.  Which are amazing, by the way (and the dough is insane.  I may have hidden a bunch in the freezer for myself...).  When you chop the candy bars, keep the chunks fairly large.  Butterfingers are tricky to chop because the knife just wants to slide off and shave bits instead of giving chunks.  When you mix in the chopped candy, it will crumble just a bit more, but you will still have good sized chunks instead of Butterfinger powder.

Butterfinger Chocolate Chip Cookies

2/3 cup butter, room temperature
6 Tablespoons shortening
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
11.5 ounces (about 2 cups chopped) Butterfinger candy bars, chopped
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

With a stand mixer (or a hand mixer) cream together the butter, shortening, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the vanilla.  Add the all purpose flour, bread flour, baking soda, and salt, and beat until just combined.  With the mixer on low, beat in the semi sweet chips and chopped butterfinger.

Use a cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoon) to scoop the dough into balls.  Take each ball in your hands and pull it apart into two equal parts.  Rotate the two pieces of dough 90 degrees so that the jagged surfaces are facing up, then squish the dough ball back together, preserving the new jagged top.  Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 11-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned and the center is just set.  Remove cookies from the oven and let cool for several minutes on the baking sheet.  Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Makes about 30 cookies.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy