The perfect chocolate chip cookie

Perfect Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies Makes 4 dozen

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 pound brown sugar
• 2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 pound whole wheat flour
• 1/4 pound oats, rolled (raw)
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks
• 1/2 pound semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
• 3/8 pound pecan halves, or other nuts

1. Combine butter, sugar and vanilla in mixer with paddle and beat until well combined
2. Combine flour, oats, salt and baking soda in bowl and whisk to combine
3. Crack eggs into bowl and whisk to c ombine
4. Add eggs gradually into butter sugar mixture with mixer on medium speed. Beat until well combined
5. With mixer on low speed, add flower oat mixture gradually and beat on medium for an extra 15 seconds to activate gluten in wheat flour
6. Combine chocolate and nuts and add to bowl on low speed.
7. Scoop batter into 50 round balls (using a scopper or spoon)
8. Bake at 350 degree oven until just colored a touch around edges, about 13 minutes. Avoid over-baking. Cookies should be soft and chewy.

1. When I created this recipe, I started out with the classic Toll House recipe, and then made adjustments from there to create my ideal chocolate chip cookie.
2. Our cookies are made with whole wheat and oats instead of white flour, which makes them chewy, more flavorful, and more nutritious.
3. I use all brown sugar, rather than the standard mix of white and brown sugar, which gives the cookies a stronger molasses flavor, and also makes the cookies more chewy rather than caky
4. I use about 1/3 more chocolate than the standard recipe, and I sometimes use 1/2 semi sweet chocolate and 1/2 bittersweet chocolate to make the cookies just a bit less sweet
5. We've used many kinds of chocolate, but Valhrona from France is my favorite
6. We line our baking sheets with parchment, which helps in three ways. The cookies tend to burn less on the bottom (thicker cookie sheets also help to prevent burnt bottoms, as well as using a center rack in the oven rather than the20lowest rack) Parchment also helps prev ent cookies from sticking to the pan, and makes clean up easier as well.
7. I recommend buying a scoop if you make cookies regularly. It makes scooping the cookies much easier and gives you more consistent sizing.
8. Don't over bake to be sure to have soft, chewy cookies. If you like them more crisp, you can leave them in the oven a minute or 2 longer
9. You can make the batter and scoop it onto pans and freeze the cookie dough balls, and then put them into tupperware or a ziploc bag, and then you can bake as many as you need fresh whenever you want.