I love you guys. I really do.
I love that you stop by during your busy days to read what I write, look at the pictures I take, and leave some love for me to find.
Like benevolent fairies that put the Tooth Fairy to shame, you take time out of your own lives to touch a big part of mine, and for that I thank you.
There was a time not so long ago, where I wondered if anyone read my blog, when four out of the five hits I received in a day were my own.
Image from Content4Demand.Com
It was hard to push through and keep creating on those days, those weeks.
But since I started this blog — a little more than three and a half months ago — I have been amazed by the encouragement and support that has unfolded not only from friends and loved ones near and dear, but of strangers far.
People that I have never had the pleasure to meet, but who have nonetheless done their tremendous and incredibly kind part in encouraging me and spreading the word and love about me and SKC.
Companies like Kerrygold Cheese and Butter who gave Small Kitchen Chronicles its first-ever press.
A paperboy for the Toronto Star in Whitby, Ontario, Canada, 1940
Fellow food bloggers, like Joanna of Baked by Joanna and Rachel of A Southern Fairytale, Katherine and Shelley of Yummly, and the awesome Huffington Post — Tastespotting and Foodgawker too — who all saw something in my food photos, recipes, and small kitchen tips and decided to share them with the world.
Then there are the incredible writers, photographers, and so many wonderful others — bloggers or no — who subscribe, comment, “like”, share, repin, retweet, and pingback.
I will likely never meet you, but I am so thankful that you’re there. I appreciate ever single thing you do, because you help make Small Kitchen Chronicles possible and help it grow … me too!
Wonderful, talented, amazing people like you.
So because you deserve nothing less than amazing, I set out to make you the best, most amazing chocolate chip cookies ever. And that’s exactly what these are. So very amazing in fact, they’re ultimate.
What makes them so?
Well, for starters, they’re huge. Not that huge means better, but in this case, it’s true. They’re loaded with not one, but two kinds of chocolate, meaty pecans, and just a hint of orange, giving them layers and layers of flavor in every perfectly crunchy, chewy, delicious bite.
And the dough, people? Wait for it … refrigerated. Get out! I know! Refrigerated. It’s this fab step before baking that makes them divine.
And to make it all even sweeter, I want to send you a $25 Trader Joe’s Gift Card to help you make them.
Now, it won’t cost you even close to that much for ingredients, but I wanted to throw in a little extra for you to get whatever else your pretty little heart desired too, so…
Want to enter? Here’s what to do:
Must Do: Leave a comment on this post and sincerely thank someone. It can be truly anyone, but do it from the heart.
Bonus: Share this on any of your social networks and leave the URL of your “share” in a comment.
Fine Print: Giveaway ends on Monday, October 8, 2012 at 11:59pm PST. The winner will be randomly selected using Random.Org. Note: This giveaway is now closed.
***
The winner of the Trader Joe’s gift card giveaway is Rose!
Congratulations, lovely lady, and thanks so much to everyone for entering and reading!
***
So to kick things off, thank you so much, dear readers. I truly, from the bottom of my heart, love you.
Christina’s Ultimate Double-Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans
Inspired by Shine and Midwest Living
Makes 16 large cookies
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder, slightly rounded
1 teaspoon baking soda, slightly rounded
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, melted (two sticks)
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
zest of half an orange (optional, but highly recommended)
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
3/4 cup raw organic pecans, roughly chopped
3 1/2 ounce bar of milk chocolate, roughly chopped
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, with a fork, mix together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large-sized mixing bowl, using a wire whisk, whisk melted butter, turbinado sugar, and brown sugar together until combined.
Next, add in the eggs, vanilla extract, and orange zest (if you’d like) to the butter/sugar mixture and whisk until mixed thoroughly. Using spatula, fold in the flour mixture, as well as the chocolate pieces, pecans, and milk chocolate. Fold well and until you can no longer see any clumps of flour.
Important: Do not over-mix, as it can result in a tough cookie.
Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop dough into cup and lightly pack cup until full. Empty each dough “mound” from cup onto an ungreased baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches of space around each mound of cookie dough.
Important: Do not pat mounds down. They should still look like little mounds, and be slightly loose in shape.
Repeat step above until all cookie mounds have been formed, keeping in mind that you will likely need at least two baking sheets, depending on the size of yours.
Cover with plastic wrap, and transfer baking sheets to refrigerator for cookies to refrigerate overnight.
Important: As tempting as it may be to rush / skip this previous step, I strongly encourage you not to! This “refrigerating overnight” step is key to making these cookies go from “good” to “extraordinary!” Promise.
The next day, preheat oven to 375 Degrees F.
When you are ready to bake the cookies, remove baking sheets from refrigerator, remove plastic wrap, and transfer sheets to middle rack in oven. Bake cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown.
Important: Though thoroughly cooked, cookies will still be soft and puffy.
Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheets for two minutes. With spatula, carefully transfer them to wire racks and allow to cool completely.
Serve warm or at room temperature — they’re absolutely delicious with milk!
Cookies last 4-5 days stored covered in a Tupperware container.
Share and enjoy!
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Small Kitchen Chronicles 
Yum, that looks delicious! I’m not a fan of nuts in general but the cookies look amazing!
Thanks so much, Anne, and as good as they may look, they taste even better!
And, you know, if you’re not a fan of nuts, you can always omit them — they’ll still be deeeelicious.
=)
Yeah… I would totally make this w/o the nuts. Thanks for sharing!
I WANT THESE COOKIEZ! Nom. Nom. Nom. Oh yeah, and I’d like to thank you Christina for the fantastic food photography and yummy little parts of my day! 🙂
Aww, thank you so much, Shawn — that really touched my heart =)
Thank you!
Cookiez!!!!!!! Love it:).
You rock, Christina! Amazzzing cookies (and such a sweet mention)
Thanks, Shelley, and thank you!
=)
Thanks to my friends – couldn’t live without them!
Hey buddy,
I would like to thank my best friend for always being herself, making her own road in life, and being and a fantastic glowing human being. That would be you:).
Much love, Niko
P.S. Can’t wait to sample some of those scrumptious cookies, please save one for me!!!
Ooh, thank you, Niko, and likewise!
And re: the cookies, there’s one put aside with your name on it =)
Love you, bud!
I would thank my mother for supporting me with with everything. She would be the person I’d share these cookies with.
I sincerely and truly thank my family for being wonderful. And I thank you Christina for sharing your cookie recipe!
My pleasure, Rose!
=)
I want to thank the crafting community. Without them I would never have realized how much I can do.
melodyj(at)gmail(dot)com
I’d like to thank my parents for providing me with an amazing, eclectic upbringing that has fostered creativity, and their support in sending me to an amazing university! 🙂
frannieface77(at)ucla(dot)edu
I want to thank my husband for his kind heart and good ear. Even after 10, 12, 14-hour days at a grueling day of work, he will listen to me grumble about little things that happened during my much more normal day of work. Sometimes I really let it out, and then apologize, but he always lets me know he’s there for me and tells me to continue.
Thanks for the recipe, and thanks friends and family for all the love and support they give!
You’re most welcome, Sara!
=)
I would like to sincerely thank my sister for always standing by me and for helping me get through the darkest time of my life. I don’t think things would be half as wonderful as they are today if she hadn’t stepped in and supported me.
These cookies look GREAT! When you have a quickie moment check out details for the Chocolate Adventure Contest I have posted at FFC ~ I am sure you could come up with AMAZING submissions!
Thanks so much, Marla, and I will definitely check it out — thank you!
I want to thank my husband, for putting up with me, lol! A big batch of these cookies would be a great way to let him know I appreciate his never-ending supply of patience 🙂
Today I truly and honestly want to thank all the food bloggers out there that are inspiring me on a daily basis. Who knew that we could make eating communal through the internet. Thanks to everyone that tests recipes and makes delicious mistakes- thanks for the wonderful smells that my kitchen produces!!
Well said, Greta, well said. Truly, and thank you =)
Hi! I just found you through tastespotting and I want to thank YOU for the awesome blog post! It was really inspiring because I definitely remember the days when I might get 4 or 5 hits and I never knew if they were my own or from some spam site! It’s great to see how much success you’ve achieved since then–congrats!
Also, these cookies. Look. Phenomenal.
Oh, Erika, thank you so much.
I so appreciate what you wrote and, you know, it’s so great to hear from other food bloggers like yourself, and to realize that we really all kind of go through the same “growing pains” together. We’re not in this alone, and what a great community of inspiring folk to be a part of!
Thanks so much again, Erika! I look forward to your future creations and you’re most welcome here anytime =)
Christina, you are too sweet! I agree, I’ve found the blogging community to be incredibly welcoming and inspiring group. And I look forward to reading more from you as well!
=)
I just wanted to thank YOU for this recipe! It sounds delicious and as for folks commenting about making it withOUT the nuts…nooooo!!!! That’s what makes them so delicious!! YUM!! Finally, thanks, again, this time for the giveaway making it possible for somebody to buy the ingredients for this fantastic recipe!!
LOL, speak it, sister, speak it! LOL
And, you are so welcome on all counts, Michelle, thank you. It really was the least I could do =)
I came here drooling over the photo of these awesome cookies, and I have to say I was touched by this post! Love the sincerity in your writing, and thanks for acknowledging your readers!!
I’d also like to invite you to send this recipe to the bakefest event on my blog…details here: http://www.funandfoodcafe.com/2012/10/blog-event-bake-fest-12.html
Thanks again,
Mansi
Thank you so much, Mansi, I really appreciate that — my pleasure!
And thank you for the invitation to your bakefest — I will absolutely check it out =)
These were amazing, Christina! Your husband was gracious enough to share some with a few of us at work and I loved it. I am a really great taste tester if you ever want to send stuff with him to work again 😉 Seriously – amazing!
Thank you, David, and I am so glad you liked them =)
And, thank you, I will certainly keep that generous taste-testing offer in mind for the future!
Thanks again!
Hmmmm not sure I can hold out a whole 24 hrs without eating at LEAST 8 cookies worth of raw dough :-P.
My thanks goes out to my awesome team of coworkers. Couldn’t have been luckier to have such great people to work with !
These cookies were made to perfection. Very delicious!
Thanks so much, Nicholas, so glad you enjoyed them =)
I love that I landed here today, drawn in by those tasty looking cookies. As someone with a small kitchen, a new blog, and a love of creating yummy food for the people I care for, I’m gonna follow you!
I think this will show up correctly:
Wonderful, and welcome to Small Kitchen Chronicles!
=)
They were so delicious!
Glad you liked them, Ty, thank you!
Nice blog! The cookies look soooooo good! You go girl!
Thanks so much, sweetie!
=)
I’m thankful for my husband, family,and close friends! I’m so happy I went to beach volleyball 4 years ago. I feel incredibly blessed to have met you Christina. Your honesty, humor, and love of life makes me smile. Love you!
I feel the same, dear, dear friend!
Love you back, sweetie, and thanks so much for all your support, and being the most wonderful friend that you are.
You are a treasure =)
xo
I would like to thank my 98yo mother for still having her sense of humor! And she still bakes cookies too, she will love these!
I had these cookies when i was at work and they totally made my day!! DELICIOUS!!! Definitely want some more:)
I’m so glad, Dustin! My pleasure!
=)
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I have been searching for the perfect recipe for these … can’t wait to try.
Awesome, Stef!
Please come back and let me know how you liked them!
=)
Cookies sound yummy. Plan to make them soon. Thanks so very much for sharing.
Thank you, Virginia!
I’d like to thank my academic advisor who is battling cancer for all the support she’s given me over the past 3 years despite what she’s been going through.
I’d like to thank my grandma and my mom. I remember them sharing recipes and always trying new things together. What an inspiration!! I love to bake today because of what they have taught me!!
I want to thank my brother – always there to listen, to help… and never asking for anything in return.
m8usi at yahoo dot com
tweeted:
m8usi at yahoo dot com
Why, thank you for retweeting my post and recipe, alw6ys! Very much appreciated =)
I can’t wait to make these cookies. Thanks for sharing your recipe. I’d also like to thank my husband for always appreciating my cooking and baking.
Those cookies look pretty good. I just wanna thank my mom for teaching me the joy of cooking!
I would like to thank Niko and Christina for being the wonderful and awesome people that they are and for sharing themselves and their family with a boy who needed a mentor. For showing him what family can be like. For showing him how great music is and how great being yourself can be. I would also like to thank your mom for being an amazing cook and sharing part of herself with that same boy.. He STILL talks about those treats. The boy is now a man and your impressions have been truely inspiring for his life. No gift card needed… just wanted to say thank you and I love you both!
Oh, Debby, thank you so much! I so appreciate you stopping by my humble blog and leaving such heartfelt words for us.
It’s been a pleasure to meet and know you, and I am so touched to hear that Niko, I, and our family have been such positive influences to Chris.
Much love to you both and please stay in touch. You are welcome here at SKC anytime =)
Oh and I can’t wait to try out the cookies!! Pecans have always been my favorite in cookies and brownies. Not a walnut fan at all.
These look YUMMY!!!
I’m so glad! Drop on by and let me know how you liked ’em!
I would like to sincerely thank everyone who left a post here, and shared a bit about the people who matter most to them. Much love back to you.
I couldn’t have put it any better. Truly.
these cookies look amazing..anything with double chocolate and pecans has got to be good..lovely post on gracefully thanking the ones you love…lovely job..sarah
No doubt, and thanks so much, Sarah! I really appreciate that =)
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