Oatmeal Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve been on a pecan kick lately.  I’ve always like the nut, but recently I’ve found a new love for the buttery pecan.  I’ve been adding them to oatmeal, yogurt, granola…and now cookies!

I had it in my mind about making a gooey chewy cookie that resembled the flavor or pecan pie. 

I wanted to use dark brown sugar, and brown rice syrup to try to get the cookies “gooey”. 

Then I opted for an oatmeal base for some added chew and to up the nutritional value.

Then there was the chocolate chip debate…well I wouldn't really cal it a debate, I mean how could they NOT be good with chocolate chips!?

While they didn’t come out exactly like the image in my mind, they are still one of the best cookies I think I’ve ever made!  Seriously I’m glad I ate the last one last night because these are ADICTING!

They are soft, and have a good chew from the oatmeal, and I slightly undercooked as I prefer most cookies that way!

Oatmeal Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Preheat oven to 375

• 2.5 cups Quick Cooking Oats
• 1 cup White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 T unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
• 2T maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips (I used half milk choc. chips, and half semi-sweet)

In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients: flours, oats, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of a mixer with paddle attachment cream butter with brown sugar.

With mixer on low, add oil, brown rice syrup, and maple syrup.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing between each. 

Mix until smooth, and then slowly add dry ingredients until combined.  Then add nuts and chocolate chips.  Add more chocolate chips if you want, I like to taste the batter in my cookies so I don’t like every bite with chocolate.

Milk chips…

Semisweet :)

Be sure to taste test the batter for quality control…I mean how else are you going to know.  My feeling is that if the batter is delicious, you’re in the clear (well unless you burn them…but that’s your own fault ;)

Spoon onto a baking sheet lined with a sil pat or parchment paper. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Check at 8 minutes!!  I like my cookies to be a bit underdone when I take them out.  They will firm up on the pan while they cool.  Mine looked a bit lighter in color than I was expecting and appeared almost wet in the middle when I took them out, but they come together in another minute out of the oven.  If you’re not into that, keep baking until they look good to you. 

These are soft and caramely…and dare I say, moist (I hate that word but it fits).

           They are husband and co-worker approved, but most importantly I LOVE them!  I’d like to play around with the batter next time but for now this one is a keeper!