Chocolate Chunk Pecan Cookies

As soon as I set foot in my apartment I was ready to head to the kitchen and bake up some goodies. I looked through all my books in search of the perfect recipe. The recipe had to be comprised of ingredients I had in the kitchen and it had to be a cookie. I was in the mood to bake cookies. I get in the mood to bake certain things, I wonder what that means or what it says about my mood. I was in between a chocolate chip cookie by Nick Malgieri and these cookies. I chose these cookies because they weren't your standard chocolate chip cookie. I think I made the right choice because I have not been able to stop eating them. I halved the recipe and only added 1/2 cup pecans (I'm indifferent toward nuts in my cookies). The cookies were so incredibly chewy and they had such a deep sweetness I hadn't tasted in a cookie (I attribute to the use of dark brown sugar). This cookie is another winner from Jill O'Connor's book. Enjoy!

The Best One-Bowl Chocolate Chunk-Pecan Cookies
Source: Jill O'Connor's Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey

2 cups pecan halves
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans on large baking sheet and toast in oven until they are warm and fragrant, 6 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cool completely.

Place the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave uncovered on high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir until completely melted. Using a large wooden spoon, stir both sugars into the melted butter. When combined, add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Stir until smooth. Stir the flour, baking soda, and baking powder into the batter just until incorporated and a soft dough forms. Carefully fold in the chocolate chunks and cooled toasted pecans.

Use a 2 oz self-releasing ice cream scoop or a 1/4-cup measuring cup to measure out the cookie dough. Place the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, 45 to 60 minutes. Toward the end of chilling time, return the oven to 350 degrees.

Bake until the cookies are crisp and golden around the edges but still a little soft in the centers without being gooey, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let cool slightly. Transfer the cookies from the baking sheets to the wire racks and let cool to room temperature.

Mmmm....


Yum a million times!


Mouth-watering