I've had Lady Bird Johnson on my mind today, so I decided to cook up a few of her specialties. I found her famous lemon square recipe and was all gung ho on on trying her version, but I only had one lemon and couldn't go to the store because Fuzz had a friend over. Instead, I made Butterfinger Cookies.
This is a popular recipe posted all over the Internet. Some versions contain peanut butter and butter, others use shortening. Even though the peanut butter/butter version had high ratings, I chose the yet un-rated shortening version because 1) I like the interesting texture shortening gives baked goods and 2) I was out of butter and (as I mentioned) couldn't go to the store.
Butterfinger Cookies are good! This batch was flatter than expected, but had a great crispy and chewy texture. The addition of butterscotch morsels was a last minute thing and I really liked how they worke. You can leave them out if you want.
If you make these, let me know. If you make the other ones....the ones with peanut butter and butter, I'd be interested in hearing how those taste.
Butterfinger Cookies with Butterscotch Morsels
⅓ cup Crisco shortening (I used regular, but Butter Flavor would probably be good)
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ⅓ cups sifted all purpose flour (sift before measuring)
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 Butterfinger candy bars
½ cup butterscotch morsels
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Beat shortening and sugar together until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
Thoroughly stir together flour, soda and salt, then stir flour mixture into shortening mixture until incorporated.
Chop butterfingers with a large knife. You should have both chunks and shards. Don't attempt to just crush the Butterfinger, or you might have too many shards and not enough chunks. Add butterfinger shard/chunk mixture and butterscotch chips to dough and stir until evenly distributed.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake one sheet at a time, for 12 minutes. Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for about 3 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to finish cooling. The Butterfinger has kind of an icky texture right out of the oven, so let the cookies cool completely before serving.
Makes about 18 cookies
Anna says
Hi Shane,
Thanks for saying some nice things about my blog. I was *just* getting ready to delete it from the Internet. You saved Cookie Madness.
(Just kidding...a little joke..heh heh heh)
I'm going to have to make the peanut butter version, because I too am a Butterfinger maniac. I chose to go with this version because all I had was the shortening and I am working hard to integrate shortening back into my life since Crisco put so much R&D into removing the transfats.
Since it's so hot outside, you may also want to try Butterfinger Pie. There's a crazy tofu one here on CM, but there's also a highly rated Butterfinger Pie over on Recipezaar.
Shane Osterfeld says
I found the original (I think) Butterfinger Cookie recipe on Recipzaar. It's the one with peanut butter, and I make them really often. I never thought about making them with the butterscotch morsels, but can't wait to get in the kitchen and give it a try. I'm a butterfinger maniac, and BTW, I LOVE your weblog, it's my favorite hands down!!
Anna says
Tracy, thanks so much for letting me know. I really liked these cookies a lot, but felt they could use a kick of butter flavoring. After all, they are called Butterfinger cookies, right? So I plan to make them again with the Butter Flavored Crisco.
Tracy Albrant says
Today I made the Butterfinger cookies from the first link you listed. Only change was I used all butter-flavored Crisco instead of butter left off one butterfinger bar. They turned out excellent! My dd says they're the best cookies she's tasted (never mind that she says that about any cookie right out of the oven!)
Gigi says
Mamie Eisenhower! I knew it was one of those "before I was born" First Ladies. Thanks, Anj - I'm off to Google the recipe right now.
Gigi says
I found the Oatmeal Creme Pie recipe in my treasure trove of untested recipes - I'm pretty sure it came from one of Elinor Klivans' books.
I tend to convert every recipe into weights instead of measures (ounces instead of cups) and I think this one could use a bit more than the 4 1/2 ounces of flour and 3 ounces of oatmeal I used. Here is the original recipe - let me know if you try it and how they turn out!
Oatmeal Creme Pies
For the cookies:
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup oatmeal (not quick cooking)
½ cup raisins
For the filling:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
To make the cookies, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and set aside. Place the butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix on low speed for about 15 seconds until thoroughly blended. Add the flour mixture and oatmeal. Stir in the raisins.
Roll dough into balls and place about 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake about 13 minutes or until they are golden. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
To make the filling, combine the butter, cream cheese and vanilla and beat with on medium-low speed for about 1 minute until mixture is smooth and thoroughly combined. Decrease speed to low and add the powdered sugar. Beat until incorporated and frosting is smooth, about 1 minute. Spread frosting on the bottoms of half of the cookies then top with another cookie, bottom side down. Refrigerate until frosting is firm, about 30 minutes.
Makes about 12 cookies
BTW - I portioned out 1 ounce for each dough ball and it made alot more than 12 cookies. They were smaller than the original Little Debbie version, but that just means you can eat 2 or 3 with no guilt,right?
Anna says
Tori, did you see me winking at you? Just kidding.
Janet, everyone loved that pie, including my mom's special pal, George.
Gigi, where did you find your Oatmeal Creme Pie recipe. If you see this, let me know..or I'll just Google it up.
Anj, thanks for answering Gigi's fudge question. Mamie's fudge is the famous one and I believe she makes it with marshmallow creme.
Anna says
Amy, that's a good question. I think I have some kind of problem. I see a recipe and immediately start thinking how I'd do it...this could be better, this is wrong, etc. etc. I've been like that since 7th grade when I drove my home ec teacher crazy. She had to have a talk with my mom because I was so critical of recipes. But I know it's wrong and I'll never learn if I don't just buckle down and follow directions precisely. Sometimes I do.
Anj says
The cookies look great. I've not used butterscotch morsels much, but I love the peanut butter chips. I've made them like chocolate chip cookies and they are yum. I would love the lemon bars though. I think it was Mamie Eisenhower who was famous for her fudge??
Gigi says
Didn't Lady Bird Johnson create a recipe called Millionaire Fudge? I didn't see it on the linked site, so maybe I'm thinking of a different First Lady.
BTW - as an homage to your Little Debbie post, I made homemade Oatmeal Creme Pies yesterday. I never had the original (I'm a Tastykake girl), but mine came out pretty darn tasty.
Janet says
Thanks, these sound good! I just bought the marshmallow stuff to make the S'mores. Wish you lived next door, I could have given you a lemon and some butter. I keep a good stash of unsalted butter in the freezer (buy it on sale). Your pie looks wonderful! How'd your Mom and friend like it?
Tori says
Those look really good. I love butterscotch, which is why I am planning to try the cheesecake bars you posted earlier this month. These may win to go first though because they look really yummy!
I saw you on the secret life of cooking contests. As we watched, I shouted out to my husband "I know her, I know her"