Chocolate Chip & Pecan Mayo Cookies

The HQ is not picky when it comes to the cookie category although #SKCookbookClub is confident anything made from Sweet by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh is sure to be the best of the best.

Ottolenghi is a world renowned restaurant owner and food writer. The James Beard Award Winner has written several cookbooks and although he is typically known for his creative savory creations, Sweet is his latest project with Helen Goh, completely dedicated to desserts.

The recipes range from simple classics, to the elaborate and show stopping. We adapted one of his basic (yet out-of-this-world tasty) cookie recipes. We promise no one will ever never know the secret ingredient is mayo...

The Chocolate Chip & Pecan Cookies recipe promises an exquisite treat that combines the deep richness of dark chocolate with the buttery crunch of roasted pecans. The addition of Sir Kensington’s Classic Mayo contributes to the cookies' exceptional moist and chewy texture. With the caramel-like sweetness from the light brown sugar and the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors, these cookies are sure to be a hit. Easy to prepare yet impressively delicious, they are an ideal choice for both everyday indulgence and special occasions.

Adapted from page 26

Ingredients:

1 cup pecan halves
1 cup plus 1 ½ tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature cut into ¾-inch cubes
¾ packed cup plus 3 tbsp light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
4 heaping tbsp Sir Kensington’s Classic Mayo
3 ¾ cups self-rising flour
1 tsp salt
9 oz. dark chocolate chips or chunks

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread the pecans out on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and, when cool enough to handle, roughly chop into pieces and set aside. (You can turn the oven off at this point, as the dough will need to chill in the fridge before baking.)
Place the butter and both sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the machine still running, add the vanilla extract and mayo, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Turn the speed to low, sift in the flour and salt and continue to beat until combined. Finally , add the chocolate chips and roasted nuts, mixing until just combined. Turn off the machine and gently bring the dough together by hand; the consistency should be firm and come together easily.
Use your hands to form the dough into large golf-ball-sized balls, and set aside in the fridge for an hour to firm up
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Spread the balls of dough out on the lined baking sheets – you’ll need to bake them in two batches – space 2 1/3 inches apart. Bake for 14 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until golden brown and slightly cracked on top. Remove from the oven and cool cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes until firm, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.