There's always room for a new chocolate chip cookie in your recipe collection. This version, with extra-large chocolate chips, toasted pecans and chunks of caramel is worth a spot! These cookies are soft with a slightly crispy exterior. Sprinkled with a pinch of sea salt - it's cookie perfection.

Our recipe is slightly adapted from one from one of our favorite recipe creators, Sally's Baking Addiction. You should try it. Please chill the dough before baking. It makes a difference in the flavor and the thickness of the cookies.

​Makes about 2 dozen average size cookies. 
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1. In your stand mixer with SideSwipe or your paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until fluffy and light in color.
2. Mix in egg and vanilla extract under well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Add to mixer bowl.
4. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until just barely combined. It is ok if there are small streaks of dry ingredients. They will be mixed when you add the next ingredients. The cookie dough will be thick and somewhat sticky.
5. Add the chocolate chips and pecans, then mix until evenly distributed. You can add some caramel chunks at this stage, but save some to stud the top of the cookies just before baking.
6. Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 4 days. Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough so the cookies don't over-spread.
7. Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
8. The cookie dough will be slightly crumbly, but will come together as you roll into individual balls with your hands. (We used a 1.5 Tbl cookie scoop and did not roll by hand) Roll balls of dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each, and arrange 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press a few pieces of caramel onto the tops of the cookies and sprinkle each with sea salt.
9. Bake for 10-11 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. The centers will look soft.
10. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Make ahead tip: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow to come to room temperature then continue with step 3. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.

This chocolate sugar cookie recipe yields perfect cut-out shapes and tastes DELICIOUS! Super chocolate flavor when you use a combination of natural and dutch process cocoa, as we did. The cookies don't spread and lose their shape. And they stay soft for days. This recipe, from Sally's Baking Addiction, is highly recommended if you want to make cut-out cookies and have a hankering for chocolate. Top with you choice of royal icing, glaze or buttercream frosting.

Our cookies are topped with New Hope Icing, a combination royal icing and glaze. Google it or find the recipe on our blog soon. We made ours for Easter, but can can, of course, choose any design you like.

Yield is about 18 largeish cookies. Feel free to double the recipe. Takes about 2 hours to make, including chilling.

The addition of whole wheat flour imbues this tender carrot snack cake with a little less guilt. The orange zest and juice adds a lovely, fresh flavor sure to please everyone in your crowd.

We halved the recipe below to make an 8 x 8 cake, which we think is plenty if you're calling it a "snack cake!" You can bake it as a full cake in a 9 x 13 pan. The larger size is perfect for a spring brunch, school banquet or a neighborhood potluck.

Recipe is from BHG. Hands-on time for this recipe is about 25 minutes. Total time to make is around 2 hours, including cooling time for the cake. Nutrition information: 316 cal, 21g fat, 54mg chol, 252mg sodium, 28g carb, 2g fiber, 4g pro.

Cake

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup neutral flavor oil (we used canola)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 Tablespoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2-1/2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans

Frosting

• 8 ounce cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 2 Tablespoons softened unsalted butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange zest to mix in
• 1 teaspoon orange zest to sprinkle on top

To make the bars:
1. Heat oven to 350°F.
​2. Line 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving a little extra overhang on the sides.
3. In a medium size bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (add a SideSwipe for best results),  cream butter and cream cheese on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until nice and creamy. Add the granulated and powdered sugars and mix until pale and fluffy, approximately 3-5 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extracts and beat until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
5. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and blend until just combined. Fold in the sprinkles with a spatula, if using. Be sure to use the “jimmies” for your sprinkles as the nonpareil type can bleed and turn your batter an unappetizing color. 
6. Press dough into prepared pan using a spatula or lightly moistened fingers. The dough will be thick and somewhat sticky.
7. Bake for 12-16 minutes or until edges are barely browned and they will look a little underdone. You do not want to over bake these bars or they will be more like a cake and less like a soft sugar cookie.
8. Allow to cool completely in the pan placed on a wire rack.