Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

I had a potluck at work last week, and in the spirit of Christmas and sweet treats, I decided to make cookies. However, I didn’t have much time, it was a Monday night, and the last thing I wanted to do was spend my entire evening baking. So I made these cookies from the ingredients I already had at home. They’re not just any ordinary chocolate chip cookies though, the addition of the brown butter and toasted pecans really take these cookies to another level. Also, I only had mini chocolate chips on hand, and only about 1/3 of the bag. Which ended up being perfect! Sometimes it’s nice to have less chips, so you get more cookie flavor! They were quite a hit with my coworkers!

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Yield: Approx. 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, browned and cooled to room temperature

1¼ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/3 toasted pecans

Instructions

To brown butter: Melt butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted and begins to foam, start whisking constantly. As soon as the butter is brown and has a nutty fragrance, transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool.

Meanwhile, toast the pecans in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 4-5 minutes until the pecans smell toasted.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare your cookie sheets and line with parchment paper if you have it. If not, a non-stick cookie sheet should be just fine.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until well combined, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Then, add the flour mixture and mix on low-speed until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans and stir until combined.

Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop one tablespoon of dough and place on cookie sheets.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for about two minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.