Malted Chocolate Chip-Pecan Cookies

Ingredients

• 9 ounces sugar
• 8 ounces unsalted butter
• 2 ounces malted milk powder, such as Carnation or Hoosier Hill Farm
• 1 ounce barley malt syrup
• 1/2 ounce vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 large egg
• 10 ounces all-purpose flour
• 10 ounces toasted pecan pieces
• 10 ounces roughly chopped chocolate, dark, milk, or white

Directions

1. Set a rack in the center of the oven, heat it to 350 degrees F (170 degrees C), and cover two aluminum half sheet pans with parchment.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attached, add butter and sugar, then the malted milk powder, barley malt syrup, vanilla extract, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda. Start on low just until everything is moistened, then turn the mixer to medium and beat until the mixture looks soft and airy, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the egg and beat until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes more, stopping as needed to scrape the bowl with a flexible spatula.
4. Return the mixer to low. Add the flour, and once it has blended in completely, mix in the pecan pieces and chopped chocolate.
5. Using a pair of spoons, portion the dough into about forty 1 1/4-ounce mounds. Arrange them on the prepared half sheet pans with about 2 inches of space between them, since they will spread quite a bit in the oven.
6. Bake until the cookies are puffed, lightly golden at the edges, and still pale and soft in the centers, about 15 minutes.
7. Leave the cookies on the sheet pan to cool until they firm up, about 10 minutes.
8. Eat them warm, or cool them all the way and seal in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
9. For later baking, pack the portioned dough among several heavy duty zip-top bags, then refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for 6 months. Before baking, let the dough stand at room temperature until very soft, about 70 degrees F, then bake the same way.