If there is one thing I love about the holidays besides the cheer and spending precious time with my family, it is all the baking! My mom has always been a huge baker and I remember back to being a little girl and helping her make cookies in the kitchen. Now in our family, cookies are an anytime of the year thing but there is something magical about cookies at the holidays.

I love the combination of chocolate and pecans [pee-cans or peh-cawns??] so I figured I’d whip up a delicious holiday cookie with the combo! I decided to do a chocolate-pecan oatmeal cookie and y’all…they do not disappoint one bit! The heartiness from the oatmeal with the crunch of the pecans and the melted dark chocolate chunks makes for the most perfect and delectable cookie. These are sure to be a crowd favorite!

Thankfully these are super easy to make and you probably have most of the ingredients on hand already. The key is to use old fashioned oats here. Quick cooking or 1-minute oats are too thin, and steel cut oats are too harsh and thick for a cookie recipe. I used pre-chopped pecans but you could certainly chop them yourself; I usually go for the least expensive option based on the store I’m in. I also used dark chocolate chunks instead of chips - I ALWAYS have these on hand and are a favorite of mine and my family!

So enough with the babble talk, let’s get to baking! Here’s what you’ll need for these delicious chocolate-pecan oatmeal cookies…

INGREDIENTS

• 1 stick of organic unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup + 1/8 cup brown sugar, packed

• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar

• 1 tbsp vanilla

• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 large egg

• 1 1/2 cups of old-fashioned oats

• 3/4 cup organic dark chocolate chunks

• 3/4 cup organic pecans, chopped

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla on medium. [You could use an electric hand mixer or a KitchenAid Professional Stand Mixer like I did - it’s a must-have IMO!]

• Beat in egg until light and fluffy.

• Mix in flour, baking soda and salt on low until combined.

• Stir in oats, chocolate and pecans until combined.

• Line baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.

• Use cookie scoop to scoop 6 “cookies” onto the parchment paper and bake for 15-18 minutes.

• Remove from baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack.

• Serve and enjoy!

That’s it my friends! Such an incredibly super simple recipe that your friends and family will be sure to enjoy. They are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside - aka cookie perfection! Using the cookie scoop I have, this recipe made exactly 24 cookies. If you give these a try, be sure to tag me [@thelifeshewanders] so I can see!