Chewy Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies

Wow...3 recipes in 3 days! I'm on a roll now. I had to make up for a couple of days that I missed. Layout colors have changed a bit, too. I'm still working on that.
I've been reading a lot of food blogs lately, and they all seem to have the same theme: fall. Many people have been inspired by the season in their cooking and baking, including me.
Fall may be the time for pumpkin, apples, leaves, cool weather, and Halloween, but it's also what I like to call, "Bus Season."
This time of year tons of tour groups flock towards Branson, like geese flocking south. They come to see show, shows, shows.
On the way to Branson, bus-loads of people stop at the restaurant where I wait tables at. Sometimes we'll get 50+ buses a day. It gets really crazy-busy, but the money is really good because the tip is included in the check.

Today was my day off, so I made some chocolate chip cookies. Not really a "fall" recipe, but a classic, and I hadn't made any in a long time. I wanted to make a chewy chocolate chip cookie with toffee bits. What makes a chewy cookie?
Melting your butter before creaming, using brown sugar, and bread flour. These are very good, but I still think I prefer Tollhouse.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies (Recipe by Emily)
Printable Recipe

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup butter-flavored shortening
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, plus as additional 1 yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup coarsely chopped chocolate covered toffee bits

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a large sheet pan with shortening, butter, cooking spray, or parchment paper.

Melt the butter and shortening in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over medium heat, until light golden brown in color, and fragrant. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, in a medium sized bowl.

Pour the melted butter in a large bowl; add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed, using an electric mixer
Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and toffee bits.
Chill the dough for 30 minutes, then place rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared pan. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown, and cool on the pan for 2 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen