I’ve been in the mood for crunchy cookies, and this recipe is my latest obsession. I named it Crunchy Roasted Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies because the recipe calls for pecans and roasted pecan oil, but any kind of nuts work and the pecan oil can be replaced with butter or any other nut flavored oil.
What I like about these is that they are thin and crunchy through and through. They are not (or should not be) chewy at all – just pure crunch. They kind of remind me of Tate's, and like Tate’s they stay fresh for a while – up to 5 days in a closed tin. I also like making changes to the add-ins. As mentioned any type of nuts work, but you can also throw in dried fruit, toffee or even candied bacon.
I haven't served these to a big group of people yet and I'm curious as to how they'll go over in a crowd. Will they please the masses or will they appeal only to those in need of a good crunch? Crowd pleasing or not, I love them! If you try them, let me know. For best results, weigh the ingredients.
Note: Crunchy Roasted Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies do not have eggs.
Recipe
Crunchy Roasted Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole or coarsely chopped pecans
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (168 grams)
- 2 tablespoon roasted pecan oil or just use 2 T. melted butter
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 245 grams
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher (scant) the kind that measures like table
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar 100 grams
- ½ cup sugar 100 grams, organic if possible
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 36 grams
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 scant tablespoons whole milk
- 1 ½ cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Roast the pecans first. Lay them on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 7 minutes or until they start to release their oils. Let them cool, then chop.
- While the pecans are roasting and cooling, melt the butter in the microwave using a medium heat setting or over the stove, then set it aside to cool. Add the roasted nut oil to the butter.
- Thoroughly mix together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.
- Put the sugars and corn syrup in a mixing bowl and pour in the cooled butter & oil mixture. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract and the milk.
- With a mixing spoon, stir in the flour until blended, then stir in the chocolate and pecans.
- Using a medium size cookie scoop, scoop rounds of dough onto a plate lined with plastic wrap. Press them into ¼ inch thick discs and chill until ready to use. Alternatively, you can bake the cookies right away.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil or if you prefer, just leave them unlined and ungreased.
- Scoop up heaping tablespoons or medium cookie scoop size balls. Place on the baking sheet and flatten to ¼ inch-thick disks spaced 2 ½ inches apart. Bake until the edges are dark golden brown, 14 to 17 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack so they can cool and crisp.
- Variation: For a hazelnut version, use 2 tablespoons of roasted hazelnut oil instead of pecan oil. Use hazelnuts for the nuts (if you can find fresh ones) and chocolate chips, or leave out the extra hazelnuts and use a chopped up hazelnut dark chocolate bar.
Anna says
Julie, there are no eggs in the recipe. The cookies are very hard and crispy, and part of the reason why is the lack of eggs. I'd love to hear what you think! I've made the cookies about 4 times in the past week and love the crunch. For best results, weigh the ingredients to get the proportions just right. You can even halve the recipe if you want.
Julie Payne says
I was reading through your recipe seriously considering making it, but I find no eggs. Is that an accidental overlook?
Anna says
Sonya, I hope you try them! I'd love to hear what you think. This is not a super popular recipe, but it makes a good cookie.
Sonya says
Mmmmm, these sound amazing, especially if you're in the mood for a crunchy cookie!