Choc Chip, Pecan and Pretzel Cookies

It's been a long time since I had my own housewarming....however have been to many of my friends and neighbours celebrations.

What do you take to a housewarming... something to decorate the house or something for the kitchen, the pantry, the wine rack or cocktail cabinet?

What I like to do is to give them one of my delicious delights with the accompanying recipe of course!

One of the most popular is my Choc Chip, Pecan and Pretzel cookies....they never fail to please.   Hope you enjoy them too.

 

Choc Chip, Pecan and Pretzel Cookies 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Makes 36

2 ¼ cups (340g) plain flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

250g unsalted butter, softened (if you only have salted butter reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon)

2/3 cup (140g) caster sugar

2/3 cup (140g) firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs, at room temperature

250g packet dark choc chips

1 cup (125g) pecan halves, roughly chopped

36 mini pretzels

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160° C fan-forced). Line large baking trays with non-stick baking paper
2.  Sift flour, bicarbonate soda and salt in a bowl.
3.   Using an electric mixer beat butter in a bowl on medium speed for 1 minute until smooth and creamy. Add caster sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract and beat on medium high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at time, beating after each addition until combined.
4. On low speed, add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in choc chips and nuts.
5.  Place heaped tablespoons of cookie dough, approximately 4cm apart, onto prepared trays, press down slightly. Carefully press pretzel into cookie. Bake, in batches, for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown, swapping trays halfway. Allow to cool on trays for 10 minutes. Using a spatula transfer to wire racks to cool completely. 
6. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

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Tasty Twists:

• Use milk or white choc chips instead of dark.
• Swap pecan halves for chopped roasted macadamia nuts or even cornflakes or rice bubbles.
• Substitute half the butter for peanut butter. Reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon and reduce the sugars to only 1/2 cup each.
• Make these into 'Choc Chip, Pecan & Oat Cookie Bars'.  Lightly grease and line a 38 x 25cm slice (jelly roll) pan with non-stick baking paper. Omit the pretzels. Reduce choc chips to 1 cup. Add 1 cup oats with the choc chips and nuts. Prepare the cookie dough as above up to end step 4. Spread dough evenly into prepared pan, level top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Transfer to a chopping board then cut into bars. 

This was my post for this month's #LetsLunch, a monthly Twitter based food blogger's virtual lunch club. If you'd like to join the LetsLunch group, go to Twitter and post a message with the hashtag #LetsLunch or post a comment below!

 For more housewarming favourites from the #letslunch blogger crew click on the links below. I'll continue to update them as they come in.

Lisa from Monday Morning Cooking Club  Chargrilled Asparagus with Tomato, Avocado & Hazelnut Salsa

Betty from Asian in America Mango, Rum Bread Pudding

Pat from the Asian Grandmothers Cookbook  Slice and Bake Matcha Cookies

Grace from  Happa Mamma Kitchen Reno  (I'm very jealous! )

Margaret from Tea and Scones Pizza Bianca

Linda  from Spice Box Travels  Fesenjan