Recipe: Thick, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (12 oz.)

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until well blended.

Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt.

Stir or beat into butter mixture until well incorporated.

Stir in chocolate chips and pecans, if using.

Drop dough by 2 tablespoon portions, 2 inches apart, onto buttered 12 by 15 inch baking sheets.

Bake in the 400 degree oven until cookies are lightly browned and no longer wet in the center (break open to check), 6 to 8 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking.

With a wide spatula, transfer cookies to racks to cool.

If hot cookies start to break, slide a thin spatula under them to release; let stand on pan to firm up, 2 to 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Makes about 28 cookies.

Sunset Magazine November 2003