Santa’s Salt and Pepper Butterscotch-Pine Nut Cookies

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Holidays-Catherine-Wilkinson-Santa-Salt-and-Pepper-Butterscotch-Pine-Nut-Cookies

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

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt

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

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

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.

2 large eggs

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

1 bag (11 oz.) butterscotch chips

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

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
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

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.