There’s one rule in my house around the holidays: Once the Santa cookie jar is out, he can never go empty. It’s a recipe for sheer gluttony — and gives me free reign to bake whenever I want. Oatmeal chocolate chip and, well, classic chocolate chip are mainstays, but I try to mix it up with a few less-expected treats. Even though I could eat chocolate chip cookies all day, every day.

After seeing recipes for Heath bar cookies, I was surprised by how many called for a traditional sugar cookie base. C’mon, it’s based on a chocolate bar — there needs to be plenty of chocolate! This recipe amends that. The cookies get crispy edges with a chewy center. Underbake them a little, and they’re straight-up fudgy, with a little crunch for the toffee bits. They’re a real crowd-pleaser, even if you’re faced with a picky bunch. Trust.

Chocolate Toffee Cookies Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup Heath toffee pieces (or crushed Heath bar bits)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter until light and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add cocoa powder, eggs and vanilla extract, beating on low until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture, mixing until combined. Fold in toffee pieces.
4. Roll into 1-inch balls, placing on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies have crackled a little. They won’t spread very much and will be soft when they come out of the oven, hardening up a bit as they cool.