Yet another chocolate chip cookie recipe

I have decided that there is no possible way to get bored with baking. Really, especially with cookies. I mean, come on, how many possible ways are there to bake chocolate chip cookies? The funny thing is, most recipes seem to have the same common ingredients. Some, may have more butter than others, cold butter or room temperature, brown sugar, white sugar, or both, 1 egg or 2. . . but they all come out different. Weird, huh? I do admit that my favorite recipes seem to be the brown butter or Neiman Marcus and my husband's the basic Nestle Toll House recipe. But, it seems to me they all taste delicious!

This recipe is by some sort of UNIX programmer that made really good cookies with chocolate (Ummm, just to let you know, I THINK that UNIX is some sort of computer thing. . . not sure, though). I can't seem to find anything on him, but apparently he was good at it. These cookies were really good, but had some unusual steps that I had never seen before when baking. I usually just use one bowl, but with this recipe I used 2. I also am really impatient and usually bake cookies when Ethan wakes up from his afternoon nap. I only have so much time before Mr. 19 months starts to get antsy. So, while the butter and sugar mixture was mixing for its alloted time, I pulled out my hand mixer and started to beat my egg mixture for its alloted time. That made it go much quicker. I think it was well worth it, but the chances of me me making them again are slim, since I will most likely find another recipe to try (since there seem to be about a zillion different recipes out there! - possibly a slight exaggeration, but you get the idea!)

Here's the recipe:

The Ultimate Stand Mixer Chocolate Chip Cookie

2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour (11.25 oz)
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. plus a pinch of salt
8 oz unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
1 cup very firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped
3 cups chocolate chips (18 oz)

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set side.

Beat cold butter in bowl until creamy in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add both sugars and continue beating at medium speed for 4-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat mix the eggs and vanilla together in a separate (small) bowl or measuring cup and slowly, one tablespoon at a time, add the egg mixture to the cream mixture while the mixer is in motion. This should take another 4-5 minutes.
With mixer on lowest speed or by hand, add dry ingredients. When incorporated, add chocolate chips and nuts and stir to mix.

Shape dough into golf ball size balls and arrange on a cookie sheet right next to each other. At this point, you are chilling them not baking them so you don’t have to worry about spacing. Cover dough balls overnight or for 6 hours. Remove and let warm to room temperature (30 minutes). Arrange cookie balls on ungreased cookie sheets spacing about 3 inches apart. Flatten a little to resemble a hockey puck, about ¾-inch high. Make edges go straight up and down. Make a slight depression in center with finger.

Bake at 400 degrees, 8-10 minutes (mine took a little longer). Edges should be golden brown but center 1-inch pale. Let sit at room temperature 5 minutes before taking off baking pan.

Makes about 32 cookies