Orange Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

I was feeling a little bored with the usual cookies, so I experimented a bit.  I love the combination of orange and chocolate, so I thought, why not put them together in a cookie?  I contemplated my basic recipes, which are toll house, sugar, and shortbread.  I eliminated the toll house base because of the brown sugar, it just didn't seem to go with the orange flavor.  I think either the sugar cookie or shortbread would be excellent, but I decided to go for the sugar cookie because it is a little lighter (if you can call a confection made of butter, sugar and flour, light).

ORANGE CHOCOLATE CHIP PECAN COOKIES

1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (4 ounces) canola oil
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon orange oil
grated rind of one orange
2 1/3 cups AP flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup toasted pecans, cut in small pieces
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium sized bowl, and set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter in a large bowl on medium speed about 1 minute.  One ingredient at a time, add the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, confectioner's sugar, egg, vanilla, orange oil and orange zest, beating on medium speed after each addition until completely incorporated.  Add the flour mixture all at once and mix on low until incorporated.  Dough will be soft.
Stir in pecans and chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.

Refrigerate about 1 hour to make it easier to handle. 

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  

Using a #40 cookie scoop (about 2 Tablespoons), drop the dough on the prepared baking sheets.  The cookies should be spaced about an inch and a half apart, so I usually get 12 to a sheet.  Press the dough evenly with the palm of your hand to flatten the cookies to 1/2-inch thickness.

Bake for 14-16 minutes until the edges turn golden.  Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets at least 10 minutes before transferring them to racks to cool completely.