This is a super chocolaty delicious cookie. The toasted pecans compliment the rich chocolate cookie very well. I made these for my family and they disappeared very quickly. I am a pecan lover. My Granny had pecan trees on her property, and every year we would gather as many as we could, minus the ones we ate, and take them to sell. I loved this activity, because it was the only way I could make money as a little kid. I never got an allowance or gift money, so I really looked forward to this every year. I would pick up as many as I could put in my bucket, they were mine to sell. My mother and I also went to a neighbor’s house and did the same thing. We picked up as many as we could, and would split them with here, and take the rest to sell.
Yield: Serves 36
1 cup or 2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup Cocoa powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup chopped roasted pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a shallow baking dish or cookie sheet with nonstick spray and spread the pecans in a single layer. Roast the nuts until they are fragrant. Cooking times will vary depending on size. Be careful to not let them burn.
When pecans are done, turn oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter and add to mixing bowl. Use a stand mixer or your hand held mixer. Add the sugars and beat on medium speed until it is creamed and the mixture is light in color. Add eggs and beat until well combined. Sift together dry ingredients (cocoa, flour, baking soda, and salt). Add this mixture slowly to the mixing bowl and beat on low until well combined. Add vanilla and combine.
Chop pecans and add. Fold in the nuts. Spoon the dough onto the cookie sheet and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on the size you make the cookie. For a nice chewy soft cookie, let cool on a solid surface, for a crispier cookie, cool on a rake. For a happy medium, like my husband likes, cool them on a plate upside down.
Variation: A delicious variation I have done in the past is to spoon this cookie mixture on the cookie sheet, and make a little well in the dough. Then fill the little well with a little caramel sauce. Then top it off with a pecan halve. This makes these cookies extra special and delicious.