Peanut-Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut butter and chocolate are a well-known pairing, but adding chopped pecans to the mix brings a toasty crunch that takes these cookies somewhere new. The dough uses both butter and shortening, which gives you the best of both worlds: butter for flavor, shortening for structure and that signature crisp edge.

The peanut butter here plays more of a supporting role than a starring one. It adds a subtle nuttiness that blends with the brown sugar and vanilla without overpowering the chocolate. You will taste it more in the aroma than in any single bite.

Drop these by teaspoons, not tablespoons. Smaller cookies bake more evenly, and the edges get properly golden while the centers stay soft. That five-minute rest on the cookie sheet after baking is not optional. It lets the cookies set without crumbling apart when you move them to the rack.

Chef Tips

• Cream the butter, shortening, and peanut butter until genuinely fluffy, not just combined. That air incorporation is what keeps the cookies from turning dense.
• Pull the cookies when the edges are lightly browned but the centers still look slightly underdone. They firm up as they cool on the sheet.
• Sift the flour for lighter cookies. Unsifted flour packs heavier and can make the dough stiff.
• Use room-temperature butter but cold shortening for the best texture contrast.

Variations

• Replace pecans with roasted peanuts to double down on the peanut flavor.
• Use milk chocolate chips instead of semisweet for a sweeter, less intense cookie.
• Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top before baking for a sweet-salty finish.