Chocolate Pecan Cookie Bark
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Andrea Potischman says she’s “a bit of a cookie fanatic” despite being a former chef who leans more savory than sweet. “I love reimagined classic cookies,” she says, and this is a modern take on a classic chocolate-chip-and-nut cookie that gives bakers the leeway to play around with ingredients, flavors and textures.
She encourages changing it up: Use different nuts, or skip them, try various kinds of chocolate. You can spread and bake this dough in a smaller pan for a thicker cookie. Bake it longer for a darker, crunchier cookie. Dip it in melted white or dark chocolate — with a partial dip, drizzling it with a fork or even putting the melted chocolate in a pastry bag. “Add more chocolate and people get really excited,” Potischman says. “Add sprinkles if you want to glam it up for a cookie swap.”
The winning cookies from the L.A. Times Holiday Cookie Bake-Off include sweet potato whoopie pies, mini versions of the Christmas bread stollen, orange-flecked frosted ones, cookie bark, cream wafers, spiced molasses cookies and more.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and place a baking sheet (13- by 18-inches with sides) near your workstation. In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar, brown sugar, vanilla bean paste and melted butter and mix well. Add the salt and flour and stir just until combined. Fold in the pecans and chocolate chips.
Spoon the bark batter onto the ungreased baking sheet and use your fingers and/or an offset spatula to press into a thin, even layer. It should reach the edges of the pan.
Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until golden brown all over, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating once halfway during the baking time. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan.
Once cool, use your hands to gently break the cookie bark into small pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to several days. Before serving, you can dip the cookies into or drizzle them with melted dark chocolate and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
