Katherine Redford's Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup toasted oatmeal (spread oatmeal in shallow pan and toast at 350 degrees just until oatmeal begins to change color, 5 to 10 minutes; watch closely)
6 oz. dark, semi-sweet chocolate chunks
2 oz. milk chocolate chunks
1 cup roasted Texas pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.

In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and toasted oatmeal. Fold into butter mixture by hand until correctly incorporated. Do not overmix. Lightly fold in chocolates and pecans, if using. Spoon by tablespoon onto cookie sheets and press down with back of spoon to lightly flatten.

Bake at 325 deg. for 20 minutes (begin checking for doneness after about 5 minutes, especially if you're making small cookies) until an even light golden color. (If edges start to brown, oven is too hot.) Remove from baking sheet and let cool on rack.

Makes about 1 dozen large cookies, 2 dozen small ones

Chocolate Chip Cookie Tips:

- Don't oversoften the shortening. If you're using real butter or oleo, do not soften in the microwave or let it get partly melted. When the shortening is too soft, it will turn to oil when you bake the cookies.

- Bake at very low heat; fold in dry ingredients by hand; and you can add a little toasted oatmeal.

- Most recipes call for baking at 375 degrees for 9 to 11 minutes; Redford says this is much too hot and to bake at no higher than 325 degrees for approximately 20 minutes. "The cookies get a beautiful, even, golden color with a crusty top and soft, moist inside." If the edges of the cookies brown, the oven is too hot.

- Most people over mix and the cookies come out tough and dry. You can use a mixer to do the creaming, but add the flour by hand with a rubber spatula. She uses 3 parts of semi-sweet Hawaiian chocolate to one part milk chocolate chunks.

Source: Katherine Redford (pastry chef at Dallas' Star Canyon Restaurant)