Milk Chocolate Pecan Chunk Cookies

A simple, buttery shortbread cookie elevated with chunks of milk chocolate and tender pecans. A treat for grabby little fingers or elegant manicured tea guests.

Milk chocolate chunk cookies with pecans

1 /2 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 egg

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 ounces of milk chocolate - Cadbury or other good quality, cut into small chunks about 1/2 inch in size.

1/2 cup chopped pecans or cashews

-In a large mixing bowl, cream together shortening, butter, sugar, powdered sugar and eggs. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed ingredients and mix until dry ingredients are incorporated. Mix in the vanilla extract. Stir in the chocolate and nuts then chill dough for about 30 minutes.

-Scoop out about 1/4 - 1/3 cup of dough at a time and form loosely into a ball. Place balls onto a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes, just until the cookies start to golden around the edges. Let sit on tray for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool.

-Serve warm or at room temperature. Make about 14 large cookies.

Cut milk chocolate bars into small chunks.

Chop pecans or cashews into medium-sized pieces.

Stir chocolate and nuts into dough until loosely combined.

Form dough into large balls about 2 inches in diameter and place on cookie sheet.

Bake cookies in 350 degree oven 10 - 12 minutes until just turning golden.

Bite in while warm or room temperature for delightful chunks of chocolate and nuts!

PERSNICKETY NOTES:

**Using a good quality milk chocolate makes a big difference to this cookie. Yes, you can find store-brand milk chocolate chips that will work but part of the glory of these simple cookies are the large chunks that hide in the dough. You can sometimes find the milk chocolate chunks in the common brands which will also work okay. But for the best flavor buy your favorite milk chocolate brand - I like Cadbury, Milka, Ghiradelli, any kind of Swiss, etc. And why not have someone do the chopping work for you in advance? There is something that is just chunkier and more unexpected if you chop it yourself - a more satisfying, eye-rolling eating experience.

**You can also use semi-sweet chocolate chips , however the semi-sweet chocolate has a slightly bitter and deeper flavor that overpowers the subtle butter flavor of the cookie. If you want to go that route, just stick with your usual chocolate chip cookie recipe.

**Bake until just starting to turn gold around the edges. You keep the tenderness of the cookies if they are just ever so slightly underbaked.