My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies~

2 sticks cold butter, cubed and unsalted

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt (I like to use the McCormick sea salt grinder set on the finest setting)

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1 Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate baking bar coarsely chopped

1/2 cup pecans chopped so fine that they are almost powdery (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugars until well blended and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time and beat until incorporated. Mix flour, salt, powder and soda in another bowl. Mix the flour mixture slowly into the dough until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips, chopped bar and pecans. Bake by tablespoonfuls on parchment paper lined sheet. When just starting to barely brown, remove from oven. They will appear underbaked but just leave them on the baking sheet for about 1-2 minutes until just "set" enough that you can get a spatula under them and remove them to another plate to cool. Yield: 3 dozen.