#42 - Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie Bars

We've got some people coming over tomorrow, so we wanted to get a head start on the cooking by getting some desserts ready tonight.

We found this recipe inside Food and Wine magazine. If you doubt the effectiveness of advertising, look no further than the Hungry Hundred. We love Top Chef, and now we have a subscription to Food and Wine thanks to Gail Simmons.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie Bars

From Food and Wine
To make these chocolate chip pecan cookie bars, you're gonna need some chocolate chips and pecans. And some other stuff.

One thing that's different is that you have to use whole wheat flour, which we've never used before.
So after toasting the pecans (or while you're toasting them I guess), you mix all the other ingredients together in the most important kitchen appliance you have, your KitchenAid.
When the dough is ready, you press it into a baking sheet to get ready for the oven. The dough is weird - it's really thick and hard to pour, so you have to really press it in there.
These cookies were pretty good (I mean how can they not be with chocolate chips and pecans?). But they were kinda dense, and maybe a little dry, so they'd probably be better with some milk or ice cream or something.
You wanna make them for yourselves? Oh good, because we have the recipe for you.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pecans
• 4 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
• 2 Tbs canola oil
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Toast the pecans for about 8 minutes, until golden, and then chop and cool.
3. Using a stand mixer, beat the butter, oil, sugar, and brown sugar until creamy.
4. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth.
5. In in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
6. Beat the dry ingredients into the mixer at low speed.
7. Add the chocolate chips and pecans, and beat until just incorporated.
8. Press the dough into the baking pan in an even layer.
9. Bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned.
10. Let cool completely before removing and cutting into bars.