Chocolate Chip Cookie Logs
(courtesy of Allison Sayles, co-owner, Sugar Pine Cakery & Café in Tahoe City. Makes 65 cookies or 5 good-sized logs)
1 pound room-temperature, unsalted butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup caramel (homemade or store bought)
3 room-temperature eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2½ cups all-purpose flour
7 cups rolled oats
1½ cups wheat germ
1½ cups ground flax meal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2½ cups chocolate chips
1½ cups toasted pecans, chopped
1½ cups toasted walnuts, chopped
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl, whisk in flax meal and wheat germ, and set aside.
In working bowl of mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar on medium speed, add caramel, and continue to cream. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, and add eggs one at a time, scraping down bowl as you go. Add vanilla, then scrape down again.
Add flour mixture in a few separate batches, making sure it’s all incorporated. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips by hand.
Divide dough into several portions of your choice, and roll out into log shape, making sure log is even in size from one end to the other. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate or freeze. Before giving the cookie log as a gift, wrap in your holiday paper of choice and tie ends with twine or ribbon.
Include baking instructions on tag: Bake at 350 degrees F, 8 to 12 minutes. Ovens may vary. Bake until edges start to brown and middles are set. If using a convection oven, adjust to 325 degrees F for 8 minutes.
