CHOCOLATE CHIP, WALNUT, AND APRICOT COOKIES

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons canola oil
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup walnut pieces, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup diced (1/4-inch) dried apricots
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place butter, oil, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla in a mixer, and mix on medium speed until blended and smooth. Beat in flour and baking powder just to blend. Add walnuts, apricots and chocolate chips, beating just to blend. For each cookie, drop a generous tablespoon dough on ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake 10 minutes. Let cookies sit on the sheets for a couple of minutes before transferring to cooling racks.

Makes About 2 dozen
Source: Jacques Pepin's Kitchen: Cooking with Claudine