Oatmeal Pecan Cookies
Isaac Spencer, Executive Chef, Grande Dunes Members Club

These are cookies that my family and I make when it rains. I know that every family has different things that they like to do when it’s not an optimal time to go outside and play. At my house we bake cookies, watch movies, and enjoy the rainy day. The next time the weather forecast is calling for Spring Showers, make sure these ingredients are in your cabinet and spend an hour or so creating a delicious cookie that is sure to make a Darker Day … a little bit Brighter!

Ingredients
1 Stick Unsalted Butter, room temperature          
½ cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed                           
½ cup White Sugar                                                 
1 large Egg                                                              
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract                                    
½ cup + 3 tablespoons White Flour; leveled          
½ tablespoon Cornstarch                                                          
1/3 Chopped Pecans
¼ cup Oat Flour (blend Old Fashioned Oats in the blender)
½ teaspoon Baking Soda
½ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 ½ cup Old Fashioned Oats
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips, plus more for adding to tops of cookies 


Directions
Make sure your butter is at room temperature and not melted. Cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and creamy, at least 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl add the flour and cornstarch. To make oat flour, blend up regular oats in a blender or food processor until they resemble flour. Measure to get ¼ cup and add that in. Add in the baking soda, fine sea salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and old fashioned oats. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Coarsely chop the pecans and add them in. Stir together all ingredients and cover tightly; chill for at least 1 hour. These cookies do not cook well unless chilled. Preheat oven to 375°. Scoop out balls of dough. (If using a food scale, do cookie balls about 1.8 oz. in size). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or baking liner. Place balls of dough (no more than 9 cookies at a time) on the cookie sheet. Return the tray of cookies to the fridge for 10 minutes. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until lightly browned at the edges (even if center looks a little under-done, it cooks more after being pulled out of the oven). These cookies set up and become extremely delicious and chewy if they are slightly under-baked. Err on the side of slightly under-baking these cookies for soft, chewy, and tender cookies! Press some extra chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies and sprinkle sea salt if so desired. Cookies best enjoyed within 2-3 days.
Yield:  20 cookies.