A shiny new store opened up in our little town, Metropolitan Market, which is sure to bankrupt me!  It's my new happy place and I seem to find more and more reasons to shop there!   Met Market is full of beautiful foods, produce that glistens, flowers that have been kissed by morning dew, still swimming fish, prepared foods that look like they were hand-crafted in a Michelin-starred kitchen and a great gift section that even those of us with every pan, pie plate and measuring cup will still find something we need!  But all that aside, Met Market sells a cookie that flies off the shelf as fast as they can make them.  It's called, The Cookie, and it's big and hefty and will set you back $4, but it's worth every penny.  If you like walnuts that is.  Which I do, but I prefer pecans so I wanted to recreate The Cookie at home, made with pecans...and Idid.  These are not exactly like The Cookie, but they are close...big and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and they are chocked full of pecans and chocolate...oh, and they won't set you back $4 bucks a piece!

Toasting the pecans (or walnuts, if you insist) in a skillet over medium heat, just until fragrant, is one of the stand-outs of this cookie...the other is the different sized pieces of chocolate.  Some of the chocolate is grated really fine, so when the cookie is baked that chocolate melts into the dough. Then there are the larger pieces of chocolate that are left large so when you bite into the cookie you bite into a nice chunk of chocolate, that's dang cheap therapy for your soul!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used a 2-inch scoop to form the cookies (between a golf ball and tennis ball) and then, and this is key, after the cookies are scooped out, they need to go into the refrigerator for at least an two hours!  Baking cold cookie dough is the secret to keeping the cookie crisp on the outside and still soft on the inside...so you must put them in the fridge, it's the right thing to do!  (Metropolitan Market Cookies are a bit larger but I would rather eat two good-sized cookies than one huge one...all of you who diet will understand this logic!)

 

 

Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies - Pots and Pins

2 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups butter at room temperature

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup dark chocolate chips

7 oz. shaved/grated Belgium dark chocolate

2 cups toasted pecans

If you are using whole pecans, chop into smaller pieces.  Put the pecans in a small skillet over medium heat, and toast until fragrant and just barely a shade darker, about 3 to 4 minutes, remove and set aside to cool.  In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer blend butter and sugars on medium using the paddle attachment, for two minutes.  Scrape down sides of mixing bowl and add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined, scrape down sides of bowl again.  With the mixer on low, add in the flour mixture, mixing until just blended.  Add in the chocolate chips, the grated chocolate and the pecans and mix until just combined.  Scoop out the cookie dough using a large cookie scoop (or spoons) so dough balls are slightly larger than a golf ball and place onto a cookie sheet.  Refrigerate for at least two hours. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.  Makes approximately 36 large cookies.