Chocolate Toffee Pretzel Cookie Cups

I keep using my cupcake pan . . . and never making cupcakes.

Sorry for all you cupcake people out there, I feel your pain.  Cupcakes are so cute!

These cookie cups may not be cutest cookies in the world, but oh man do they taste incredible  Remember the banana bread cream cookies?  I baked some of them in cupcake pans and they turned out super soft.  As tomorrow is National Chocolate Chip Day, I decided to put my strawberries aside and pull out the big guns.

Toffee, pretzels, and chocolate chips in a super soft, super thick cookie.

Bam-o.

The combinations of textures will make your mouth do a back flip.  Seriously, did you know you had such a talented mouth?  I know your mouth is one smart cookie and realizes these are just the best.

I thought there was a really nice balance between crunchy and creamy and sweet and salty.  Some family memebers wanted more of something, like Nathan wanted more toffee, Mom wanted more chocolate chips, Abigail wanted more pretzels . . . feel free to add more if you like a certain ingredient more!  It won't hurt anything, I promise. ;)

And this is the first time I used cornstarch in cookies.  I've read about them everywhere (Chloe's and Sally's recipes to name a few) and how they make cookies so soft.  So I decided to try the double approach of cornstarch and baking in cupcake pans and see how soft they would turn out to be.

Really soft, people.

What I like about baking cookies in cupcake pans is that you don't have to chill the dough.  The only way it can spread is up!  (Whoa, these cookies defy gravity?  Probably not, but its a nice thought.)  That results in a softer, doughier cookie that just melts in your mouth.  And compels you to grab another one.

Chocolate Toffee Pretzel Cookie Cups
Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life.  Cookie base adapted from Averie Cooks

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks)  butter, softened
3/4 cup  brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup crushed pretzels
1/2 cup (Heath) toffee baking bits
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used dark, but milk or semi sweet should work fine.)

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease two regular cupcake/muffin pans.

Beat butter and sugars for several minutes.  Add egg and beat well until combined.  Stir in vanilla.  Add flour, cornstarch, and soda and stir until smooth.  Stir in pretzels, toffee bits and chocolate chips. 

Scoop into prepared pan and bake for 10-12 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. 

What is your favorite part of this cookie?  I love the pretzel + pb combo!

Other pretzel recipes from The Sweet {Tooth} Life

Popcorn n' Pretzel Butterscotch Puppy Chow

and Reeses Pretzel Lava Cake