2tablespoons (12g)unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
1 ½teaspoons baking powder
½teaspoon fine sea salt
â…“cup (75g)unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups (340g)powdered sugar, sifted and divided
2 largeeggs
½teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½teaspoonpure peppermint extract
2ounces (57g)unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 2 cups (227g) powdered sugar until well combined. Set aside the remaining 1/2 cup (113g) of powdered sugar in a shallow dish.
Beat in eggs in two separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Add the extracts and the melted chocolate and beat until well combined. Beat in the flour mixture just until combined.
Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Roll the dough into 15 2-tablespoon size balls, 1 1/4 ounce (35g) each. Roll the dough balls generously in the reserved 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.
Place the dough balls 3 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bak until the cookies puff and the tops are set, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooking rack to cool.
This cake story has a happy ending. Once, many years ago, someone gave my grandparents’ neighbor a flourless chocolate cake. The neighbor had a slice and couldn’t finish it because it was too rich. She brought the cake over to my grandparents and they each had a slice and couldn’t finish them, because they were too rich. I had a slice and I couldn’t finish mine either and, well…you can guess why. So my grandparents, not wanting to be wasteful, put the cake in the freezer and forgot about it for a very long time. Whenever I opened the freezer and saw it, I wondered why none of us could eat more than a few bites of that rich cake. Although I don’t know for sure, it was probably because the ratio of chocolate to butter was off. But I do know that serving it with something acidic, like berries or raspberry sauce, would have helped immensely.
The happy ending to this story is that this flourless chocolate cake was created to be enjoyed to the last bite. It’s decadent, but not overly rich. It has a good balance, not too sweet or too bitter. The raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries compliment it perfectly. This luscious cake is also delicious with strawberries or any combination of berries you like. It’s also delicious served with salted caramel sauce. I wish my grandparents were still around to give my version of a flourless chocolate cake a try. I think they would have loved this cake and finished every last bite!
Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line a 6-inch springform pan** with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with nonstick spray. Wrap the bottom two inches of the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Set pan in a baking pan.
Combine chocolate and butter in a large stainless steel bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from heat.
In a large bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer until doubled in size, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla extract and salt.
With a large spatula, gently fold beaten eggs into chocolate mixture in three additions until no streaks of egg remain. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Smooth top of batter with a small offset spatula.
Pour 1 1/2 inches of boiling water into baking pan. Bake until top is set and internal temperature*** reaches 140ºF, about 28-37 minutes.
Remove cake pan from water bath. Cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or up to overnight, but cake is best served the day it's made).
Remove cake from pan when chilled and set. Top with powdered sugar and fresh raspberries.
To serve, remove cake from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving and serve at room temperature for best texture. Serve with raspberry sauce.
*Chalazae are the opaque chords of egg white. Removing them is optional, but they do show up as white spots in the cake after baking.**To find the 6-inch springform pan I used, click here.***To find an instant read thermometer, click here.****To find a fine mesh sieve, click here.*****To find a mini whisk for whisking small amounts, click here.
My fascination with Christmas cookies started as a child when my elderly neighbor used to bring over a tray of her homemade Christmas cookies every year. I loved the moment where I got to choose a cookie from the beautiful, interesting selection. In my humble opinion, I think a holiday cookie should be something special. It should be something that you don’t eat on a regular basis, maybe because it seems fancy or requires a little extra work to make. Or maybe it has a special meaning or a fond memory. These Chocolate Raspberry Cookie Tartlets check all the boxes for me. They have that something special a cookie needs to be the star of the holiday cookie tray…tender jam-filled chocolate dough, dipped in shiny chocolate with a pretty pop of red.
â…“cup (1 ounce)unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
½teaspoon baking powder
¼teaspoonfine sea salt
½cup (4 ounces)unsalted butter, softened
3ouncescream cheese, softened
1largeegg
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
2cups (9 ounces)all purpose flour, sifted
½cup (5 ounces)raspberry jam or or fruit spread
4ounces melted semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
1teaspoonmelted coconut oil or vegetable shortening
crushed freeze dried raspberries or sprinkles of your choiceOptional
Instructions
In a medium bowl, sift together powdered sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese, with an electric mixer on medium speed, until smooth.
Add powdered sugar mixture and beat until well combined.
Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined.
On low speed, beat in flour just until combined.
Divide dough into two equal portions. Wrap with plastic wrap and form into disks. Refrigerate at least two hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll dough between two sheets of wax paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough into 3-inch rounds, re-rolling scraps as necessary. If dough becomes too soft at any point, chill in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes then continue with recipe.
Place rounds on prepared baking sheets. Top each round with a teaspoon of jam.
With a small food safe brush or with your finger, apply a small amount of water to the edge of half of each round. Fold over and press edges to seal.
Bake until tops of cookies look set, about 9-11 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
In a small bowl, mix melted chocolate with coconut oil until smooth.
Dip cookies about 1/3 of the way into melted chocolate. Top with freeze dried fruit or sprinkles.
I remember my grandma making coffee cakes and sweet muffins for breakfast, along with eggs, sausages, hot coffee and a big pitcher of milk on the table. Why do most of our grandmothers cook and bake so well? Because they’ve had decades of trial and error to perfect their recipes, tweaking them here and there until they’re approved and loved by their families, neighbors and friends. This cake has had its share of trial and error. She has earned her place as a well-loved, delicious, beautiful queen of coffee cakes.
A classic coffee cake is usually a subtly sweet cake with cinnamon, crumb topping and maybe some icing. They’re called coffee cakes because they go so well with a cup of coffee, not necessarily because they contain coffee. This Apple Crumb Cake has the elements of a classic coffee cake, but so much better! The cake is fluffy and soft, the crumb topping is chunky and plentiful, and the apples are perfectly tender. And don’t get me started about the icing!
Grandma's Apple Crumb Cake
Tender vanilla cake with generous crumb topping and vanilla icing
3cups (340g)chopped apples (1/2-inch pieces)Use any combination of your favorite baking apples.
2tablespoons (25g)sugar
½teaspoonground cinnamon
Crumb Topping
1cup (128g)all purpose flour
â…“cup (67g)brown sugar
3tablespoons (38g)sugar
¼teaspoonground cinnamon
Scant ¼teaspoon fine sea salt
6tablespoons (85g)cold, unsalted butter, cubed
Cake
1 â…”cups (213g)all purpose flour, sifted
2teaspoonsbaking powder
½teaspoonfine sea salt
½cup (113g)unsalted butter, softened
1cup (200g)sugar
2largeeggs, room temperature
1 ½teaspoonspure vanilla extract
½cup (118ml)whole milk, room temperature
â…“cup (75g)sour cream, room temperature
Icing
2cups (234g)powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons (28g)unsalted butter, melted
½teaspoonvanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
1pinchfine sea salt
3-4tablespoons (45-60ml)half & half cream, room temperature
Instructions
Apples
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apples, sugar and cinnamon.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender, about 7-10 minutes. Transfer the apples to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
Crumb Topping
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon and salt.
Work in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like wet sand with no large pieces of butter remaining. Press together to make 1/2-inch chunks.
Cake
Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Line a 9-inch cake pan with a removable bottom*, or a 9-inch springform pan, with parchment paper. Wrap the bottom of the cake pan with aluminum foil and place pan on a baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well blended.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, with an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs and vanilla into the butter mixture in three separate addition, making sure each addition is incorporated before adding the next.
In a small bowl, whisk the milk and sour cream together. On low speed, beat the flour mixture into batter in three additions, alternating with milk mixture. Mix just until combined.
Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Drain any excess liquid from the apples. Top the cake batter evenly with apples, then the topping mixture.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. Cool the cake in pan for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from pan and transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Icing
In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, salt and 2 tablespoons (30ml) of half & half. Add additional half & half until the desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are traditional holiday cookies, probably because of the pretty, crackly powdered sugar covered exterior that reminds us of snow. They always seem to show up on cookie trays at Christmas time and I’ve loved them since I was a child. I decided to take my old favorites to another level by adding a surprise inside! Two years ago, I made some cookies with fudge filling that my family and friends raved over. They’re my Marshmallow Mudslide Cookies. To view the recipe, click here. I used the same concept for these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. I filled them with a simple, smooth fudge filling that stays soft at room temperature. The results were absolutely delicious!
Fudge Filled Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate crinkle cookies with a smooth fudge filling that stays soft at room temperature
2tablespoonsunsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
1 ½teaspoonsbaking powder
½teaspoonfine sea salt
â…“cup (2 5/8 ounces)unsalted butter, softened
2 ½cups (9 5/8 ounces)powdered sugar, sifted and divided
2largeeggs
1 teaspoonpure vanilla extract
2ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature
Instructions
Fudge Filling
In a double boiler or in the microwave*, melt chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk together until smooth. Set aside to cool while preparing cookie dough.
Cover and refrigerate for two hours. Roll filling into 1-inch balls.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Gradually beat in 2 cups (7 3/4 ounces) of powdered sugar until well combined. Set aside remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a shallow dish.
Beat in eggs and vanilla in three separate additions, until smooth. Stop to scrape bowl as needed.
Beat in melted chocolate until combined. Beat in flour mixture just until combined.
Cover and refrigerate dough for 2 hours. Don't skip this step.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll dough into 15 2-inch balls, 1 1/4 ounce each. Flatten each ball into a 3-inch disk. Place a fudge ball in the center of each disk and wrap dough around it, pinching edges together to seal. Roll dough balls generously in remaining powdered sugar.
Place dough balls three inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies puff up and tops are set, about 11-13 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
Notes
*To melt fudge filling in microwave, heat for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave for 10 second intervals, stirring until melted.MAKE AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS: To make cookie dough one day ahead, prepare cookie dough. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate in a covered container up to 24 hours. To make fudge filling one day ahead, prepare filling and chill for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Roll filling into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment lined tray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours.Â
I never imagined that I’d ever be posting a peanut butter cookie recipe. There are already crunchy peanut butter cookies, soft ones, chewy ones, and those peanut shaped store bought ones out there. I mean, do we even need another peanut butter cookie recipe? After I tasted this one, it’s a resounding YES! These soft, tender cookies combined with a silky, smooth filling are a new peanut butter experience that I had to share.
The key to getting the soft texture in the cookie, without being dry, is cake flour. So don’t substitute it, because it’s vital to achieve the correct texture. Make sure to weigh your flour for the most accurate results. The second important ingredient is heavy whipping cream. Just a little added to the filling gives it a luxurious, silky texture.
This recipe makes sixteen medium size peanut butter cookies, which will give you eight sandwiches. If you want more, you can double the recipe or make the cookies smaller. Smaller cookies will have a shorter baking time.
½cup (4 1/2 oz or 128g)creamy peanut butter, room temperature
2tablespoons (1 oz or 28g)unsalted butter, softened
½cup (2 oz or 57g)powdered sugar, sifted
2 ½tablespoons (1 1/4 oz or 37ml)heavy whipping cream, room temperature
¼teaspoonpure vanilla extract
Pinchfine sea salt
Instructions
Peanut Butter Cookies
Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter, butter and shortening until smooth.
Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.
Set aside 1/4 cup (50g) of the granulated sugar. Beat the peanut butter mixture with brown sugar and remaining granulated sugar, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy.
Add the flour mixture and beat just until combined.
Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch (3.8cm) diameter balls (about 1 1/4 oz or 35g each). Roll the dough balls in the reserved granulated sugar.
Place the dough balls 3 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Flatten with a fork, making a criss cross pattern.
Bake until the cookies are puffy and start to crack around the edges, about 9-11 minutes.
Let the cookies cool on baking sheet for 1 minute, then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack. The cookies will be fragile, but they will firm up as they cool.
Place a spoonful of filling on the bottoms of half of the cooled cookies. Top with remaining the remaining cookies.
Peanut Butter Filling
In medium bowl, beat the peanut butter and butter together until smooth.
Beat in the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla and salt until smooth.
Many people think of trail mix as a dry, chewy form of nourishment nibbled on during hiking or camping. Let me say that I think of trail mix as a highly customizable luxurious snack. That’s because I love to make my own delicious, personalized trail mixes by choosing my favorite additions. No hate to raisins and peanuts, but gorp is not allowed here. Chocolate covered nuts and fruit, step forward. Almonds, pecans, macadamias, pistachios, and cashews, please enter. Dried cherries and blueberries, welcome friends. White chocolate chips and caramel chips, you made it. Chocolate espresso beans, we’ve been waiting for you.
I took my love of personalized trail mixes to the next level by creating these Chocolate Trail Mix Oatmeal Cookies. Everything I love about those wonderful add-ins is combined in cookie form, then dunked in melted chocolate. They become beautiful when you decorate the tops with the add-ins. I used freeze-dried raspberries for my cookie tops because of the tartness and vibrant red color. Feel free to choose your favorite combination of add-ins and get creative when decorating the tops. Your additions combined, minus the oats, should be about two cups.
1 ¾cups (7 7/8 oz or 223g)all purpose flour, sifted
â…“cup (1 oz or 30g)unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1teaspoonfine sea salt
½teaspoonground cinnamon
1cup (8 oz or 227g)unsalted butter, softened
2largeeggs
1 ½teaspoonspure vanilla extract
1 cup (2 3/4 or 78g)quick oats (not instant)
½cup (2 oz or 57g)coarsely chopped almonds, preferably toasted
½cup (1 oz or 28g)unsweetened coconut chips
½cup (2 oz or 57g)dried cranberries or cherries
¼cup (1 oz or 28g)pistachios, preferably toasted
¼cup (1 oz or 28g)shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
8ounces (227g)melted semisweet or dark chocolate
1tablespoonmelted coconut oil or vegetable shortening
A few handfuls offreeze-dried raspberries, whole almonds, pistachios, coconut and pumpkin seeds to decorate tops
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla in three separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next.
On low speed, beat in the flour mixture just until combined.
Fold in the oats, almonds, coconut, cranberries, pistachios and pumpkin seeds.
Place 1 1/4 ounce round portions (about 2 tablespoons) three inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake until the tops are set and no longer shiny, about 10-12 minutes.
Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Combine the melted chocolate and coconut oil in a small deep container, wide enough to fit the width of your widest cookie. Dunk cookies about halfway into chocolate. Top with nuts and seeds.
What’s better than the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking or of fresh coffee brewing? The aroma of this warm, sweet buttery loaf of Butterscotch Bread is so heavenly that I’m convinced that angel grandmothers bake this on a regular basis in heaven. The rich scent is accompanied by a soft, tender bread topped with a silky butterscotch glaze.
It all starts with browning your butter first. It adds a nutty, deep butter flavor. When browning your butter, use a light colored saucepan so you can see the visual clues. You’ll see it start to foam and brown specks will collect on the bottom of the pan. It will smell nutty and fragrant. Keep a close eye on it. It can go from brown to burnt in a quick second. When your brown butter has cooled to room temperature, the rest of the recipe comes together quickly. You can also brown your butter a day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperate before using.
This delightful bread goes well with coffee or tea and is just as delicious the next day. Store covered at room temperature.
In a small saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat until brown and fragrant. When brown specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan, immediately transfer the butter to a small bowl. Let cool to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8 x 4-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
In a medium-sized bowl, beat the brown butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk until smooth and creamy. Stir in the flour mixture in two additions. Mix just until combined.
Transfer the batter to prepared baking pan. Bake until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 38-43 minutes.
Let the bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, them turn it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Top the cooled cake with two coats of butterscotch glaze.
Butterscotch Glaze
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and salt. Continue stirring over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for two minutes.
Turn the heat down and slowly stir in the heavy cream. Keep stirring until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Transfer the butterscotch glaze to a small bowl and let cool until thickened.
This Perfect Pumpkin cake brings back memories. The tender, moist texture reminds me of the pumpkin cake bars I used to make in junior high. I got the treasured bar recipe from an old children’s cookbook. I lent the cookbook to a neighbor and never saw the book or the recipe again. Through trial and error, I came up with this perfectly spiced, soft fluffy cake, which I think is even better! It’s so delicious it doesn’t need frosting, but the classic pairing with cream cheese frosting takes it over the top.
Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 38-43 minutes. Cool the cake in pan for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from pan and transfer to a cooling rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer, until creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract and salt until well combined. On low speed, beat in the powdered sugar. Keeping the mixture at low speed, beat in the heavy cream a little at a time until your desired consistency is reached. Stir with a spatula to smooth out any bubbles.
Notes
*To find the cake pan I used, click here.**To find the parchment rounds I used, click here.
Many families have an old favorite recipe for cobbler. I’m sharing my dad’s recipe with you and it’s definitely comfort food. It took awhile to get the ingredient amounts right because he never measured them. He used whichever fruit was available and plopped the dough on top haphazardly with a big spoon. But it was always delicious and came from the heart and that’s what mattered.
This recipe is so easy and versatile. Feel free to use peaches instead or use the berries of your choice. Make sure to enjoy it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Â
Blueberry Nectarine Cobbler
Vintage fruit cobbler with blueberries & nectarines or peaches
6mediumripe nectarines or peaches, peeled and thickly slicedabout 2 1/4 lbs (1 kg)
2teaspoonslemon juice
½teaspoon pure vanilla extract
â…“cup (67g)packed brown sugar
1tablespoon (8g) corn starch
¼teaspoonground cinnamon
1 ½cups (227g)blueberries
1cup (113g) all purpose flour
½cup (100g)granulated sugar
1 ½teaspoonsbaking powder
¼teaspoon fine sea salt
5tablespoons (70g)cold butter, cubed
â…“cup (75g)cold sour cream
1tablespoon (15ml)cold milk
1tablespoon (13g)coarse sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Grease a 2 quart baking dish.
In a large bowl, toss the nectarines with the lemon juice. Add the vanilla, brown sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Stir gently to combine. Fold in the blueberries.
Transfer the fruit mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt until well blended. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips or with a pastry blender until pea size pieces from. Stir in the sour cream and milk just until a shaggy dough forms.
Remove the baking dish from the oven. Top the fruit with 2-tablespoon-sized portions of dough. Sprinkle the dough with coarse sugar.
Return the baking dish to the oven and continue baking until the topping is deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving, to allow the sauce to thicken.
A chocolate turtle is a confection made with caramel and pecans. The shape resembles a turtle, which is how it got the name. This is my version of a turtle cookie, loaded with plenty of delicious add-ins.
Chocolate Turtle Drop Cookies
Chocolate cookies loaded with chopped chocolate, caramel chips, and toffee bits, topped with pecans.
½cup (1 1/2 oz or 43g)unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
½teaspoonbaking soda
½ teaspoonfine sea salt
½cup (4 oz or 113g)unsalted butter, softened
½cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g)granulated sugar
¾ cup 5 1/4 oz or 150g)packed brown sugar
2largeeggs
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
1cup (6 oz or 170g)coarsely chopped dark or semi-sweet chocolate (not chips)
1cup (6 oz or (170g)caramel chips (not bits)
1cup (6 oz or 170g)toffee bits or chopped candied pecans
20pecan halves
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
In a separate large bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla in three separate additions, making sure each addition is incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the flour mixture just until combined.
Set aside 20 chunks of the chopped chocolate. Fold the remaining chopped chocolate, the caramel chips and the toffee bits into the dough.
Place twenty 2-inch size portions of dough about 2-inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. (I used a #24 portion scoop*)
Top each cookie with a chunk of the reserved chocolate and a pecan half. Bake until the surface of the cookies is set, about 10-11 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute then transfer to a cooling rack.
