March Madness Bakeoff - Round 1!

As you, my faithful readers may recall - Mrs. BA participated in a March Madness Bakeoff, last year at her job.  They held the contest again this year and Mrs. BA performed spectacularly again - though she only made it two rounds this year - both contributions were outstanding.

Embargoed for the month of March (by me, no one else), here is the first of the winning recipes - Round 1 was cookies.

Frosted Butterscotch Cookies
from Better Homes and Gardens
Makes: 60 servings
Yield: about 60 cookies
Prep 35 mins
Bake 375°F 10 mins per batch

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar 
• 1/2 cup shortening 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 8 ounce carton dairy sour cream 
• 2/3 cup chopped walnuts 
• 1/2 cup butter (no substitutes) 
• 3 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar 
• 5 teaspoons boiling water 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 
• Chopped walnuts or walnut halves (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. Set aside. 
2. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. In large mixing bowl beat the brown sugar and shortening with an electric mixer on medium speed until well mixed. Add eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Add flour mixture and sour cream alternately to beaten mixture, beating after each addition. Stir in the 2/3 cup nuts. 
3. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. 
4. To make frosting, in a medium saucepan heat and stir butter over medium-low heat until golden brown. (Do not scorch.) Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar, boiling water, and 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat until frosting is easy to spread. Immediately spread on cooled cookies. If frosting begins to set up, stir in a small amount of additional boiling water. If desired, top with additional chopped walnuts or walnut halves. Makes about 60 cookies. 

From the Test Kitchen

• Up to 1 day ahead, prepare and bake cookies. Frost cooled cookies; let frosting set. Place cookies in an airtight container with waxed paper between layers; store at room temperature. 

Nutrition Facts (Frosted Butterscotch Cookies)

• Servings Per Recipe 60, cal. (kcal) 105, Fat, total (g) 5, chol. (mg) 13, sat. fat (g) 2, carb. (g) 14, pro. (g) 1, sodium (mg) 63, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet