Butterscotch Sugar Cookies

Wedding Cake Murder

Yield: Approximately 5 to 7 dozen fudgy Butterscotch Sugar Cookies

## Ingredients

* 2 cups salted butter ***(4 sticks, 16 ounces, 1 pound)***
* 1 cup butterscotch chips ***(I used Nestle Butterscotch chips)***
* 2 cups powdered ***(confectioner's)*** sugar ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* 1 cup white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon cream of tartar ***(critical!)***
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 4 and ¼ cups all-purpose flour ***(not sifted--pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***

* 1/2 cup white sugar in a bowl for coating the cookie dough balls that you will make

## Directions

* Preheat oven to 325°F, rack in the middle position.
* Melt the butter and butterscotch chips in a microwave-safe bowl by putting the chips on the bottom of the bowl and the butter on top of that. Heat for one minute on HIGH, let the bowl sit in the microwave for one minute, and then try to stir it smooth. If you can, you're done. If you can't. continue to heat in 30-second increments followed by a standing time of one minute, until you can stir the mixture smooth. ***(You can also do this in a saucepan on the stovetop at LOW heat.)***
* After you have stirred the mixture smooth, set it on the kitchen counter or on a cold burner to cool.
* When the mixture has cooled to slightly above room temperature, pour it into a mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer.
* Add the powdered sugar and the white sugar. Beat until the mixture is smooth.
* Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
* Mix in the vanilla extract. Make sure it's well combined.
* Add the baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix until everything is thoroughly combined.
* Add the flour in half-cup measurements, mixing after each addition. You don't have to be precise--just divide your flour into roughly 4 parts.***(One very important reason for adding the flour in increments is so that the whole mountain of flour won't sit there on top of your bowl and erupt like a volcano all over your kitchen when you try to combine it with all the other ingredients.)***
* Once the dough has been thoroughly mixed, prepare your cookie sheets by spraying them with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. Alternatively, you can line them with parchment paper.
* Place a half-cup of white sugar in a shallow bowl.
* Roll one-inch cookie dough balls with your fingers. ***(You can also use a 2-teaspoon scooper to form the dough balls.)***
* Dip the dough balls in the bowl with the sugar and roll them around until they're coated.

**Hannah's 1st Note: Work with only two or three cookie dough balls at a time. If you put more than that in the sugar at a time, they may stick together.**

* Place the dough balls on the cookie sheet, 12 dough balls to a standard-size sheet.
* Flatten the dough balls with the back of a metal spatula. This will make them bake evenly. If you leave them on the cookie sheet as dough balls, they will flatten out during the baking process, but the insides will be chewy instead of melt-in-your-mouth crispy.
* Bake the Butterscotch Sugar Cookies at 325°F for 13 to 15 minutes. ***(Mine took 14 minutes.)***

**Lisa's Note: Herb says these cookies are like potato chips. You can't just eat one. They also hold up really well if you stick several in around the sides of a dish of vanilla or chocolate ice cream.**