Caramel Cashew Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups light-brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups whole oats
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/3 cups toffee bits
• 1 1/2 cups toasted, salted cashew halves, chopped into small pieces

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a cookie sheet and keep it nearby.
2. Add the oats to a food processor and process until they are almost flour, about 1 minute. Transfer the ground oats to a mixing bowl, then add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk everything together until evenly mixed, then put the bowl aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar until the mixture looks paler and airy, about 3-4 minutes. Mix in the eggs 1 at a time, then blend in the vanilla.
4. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture and mix just until it comes together. Fold in the toffee bits and cashew pieces.
5. Shape the dough into cookie balls, about the size of a heaping tablespoon. Arrange them on the greased cookie sheet and bake for 9 – 11 minutes, using 9 for softer cookies and 11 for crispier ones.
6. Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for several minutes, then move them to a wire cooling rack.