I have to say that the only gift I needed to open Christmas morning was my brand new stainless KitchenAid stand mixer. I couldn’t believe it and had to ask my mom if it was real or just a trick. I couldn’t wait to plug her up and take her for a spin. First up, chocolate chip cookies. These that I made were the best I’ve ever had. They were soft with just the right amount of chocolate plus the crunch from the pecans I added. Mom did give me some good advice as I went through the baking process. I’ll be honest; I’m not a patient baker. However, the speed of the mixer helped cut that anxiousness I feel when the mixing takes too long or I can’t get something perfect. She did say to beat that butter (which you have to melt first) and sugar until it is creamy and thick. Also, add in the dry baking soda and salt before the flour. This will get those two incorporated well before they get lost in the flour. I also doubled this recipe, so I ended up with 3 dozen cookies. Be sure to watch them closely in the oven. That real butter bakes quickly.

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Microwave the butter for about 40 seconds to just barely melt it. It shouldn’t be hot – but it should be almost entirely in liquid form. Using a stand mixer, beat the butter with the sugars until creamy. Add the vanilla and the egg; beat on low speed until just incorporated – 10 to 15 seconds or so (if you beat the egg for too long, the cookies will be stiff). Add the baking soda and salt, and mix in. Then slowly add the flour. It should form one large ball that is easy to handle Add the chocolate chips and pecans and incorporate evenly with a spatula. Scoop out the dough with a 1 ounce ice cream scoop and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until the cookies look puffy and dry and just barely golden. Let them cool slightly before transferring to a rack to cool completely.