Pepperidge Farm Chesapeake Copycats
Crispy, crunchy chocolate chip cookies with pecans and dark chocolate.
Servings 42 Cookies
Cost 5
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cool room temp, cut into chunks (114 grams) -- Kerrygold
- ½ cup shortening or use another stick of butter (96 grams shortening or 114 grams more butter)
- 1 large egg, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- ¾ cup brown sugar, tightly packed (160 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt (use ½ if using salted butter)
- 2 to 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour, weigh for best results** (315 grams if using AP 300 grams for gluten-free blend)
- 1 ½ cups dark chocolate chunks (Aldi)
- 1 ½ cups toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the cool butter and shortening until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and continue to beat until creamy. It may look a bit curdled at first. Keep beating for about 2 minutes.
- In a second bowl, whisk together the sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour until evenly mixed.
- Add flour mixture to the egg and butter mixture. Return mixer to mixer stand. Using the paddle, beat on medium until evenly blended but still rather crumbly. Empty onto a pastry mat and knead gently until dough comes together. Knead in the chocolate chips and nuts. If using gluten-free dough, you should be able to just stir in the chips and nuts, but the all-purpose dough is a little dryer.
- Shape dough into balls that are about 1 inch in diameter or about 30 to 32 grams each.
- Arrange the dough balls about 1 ½ to 2 inches apart and bake one sheet at a time (or you can do two sheets if you prefer) for about 12 minutes or until cookies appear golden and cracked. Update -- Bake longer if the cookies do not appear lightly browned around the edges. They will be slightly soft when you pull them from the oven and need time to cool and crisp.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for about 3 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool and crisp.
Notes
The dough should feel a little on the dry side, but should still hold together. For best results, weigh out 300 grams with a scale. If you don't have a scale, whisk the flour well to aerate, then spoon it into the cup and sweep the top flat.
If using gluten-free flour, you'll definitely need to weigh it.
If using volume measurements, start with 2 cups of flour.
