Noah Bedoahs (Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies)

From Judy Rosenberg's 'Rosie's Bakery All-Butter Fresh Cream Sugar-Packed No-Holds-Barred Baking Book'. I bake for friends and family all the time and hands down, this recipe is requested most often -- usually with Mini Chocolate Chips and Mac Nuts. DIRECTIONS MAY LOOK INTIMIDATING BUT THE RECIPE COMES TOGETHER IN MINUTES; follow step-by-step instructions for perfect buttery, light and crispy shortbread with every batch!

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 16
• Yields: 15-17 3-inch

Ingredients

• 1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2  tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (2 sticks)
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
• 3⁄4 cup  semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1⁄2 cup  nuts, chopped (Walnuts, Pecans & Mac Nuts work well!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275°. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or leave them ungreased.
2. Sift the Flour, Baking Powder and Salt together into a small bowl and set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the Butter and Sugar together in a medium-sized mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 1-1/2 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape the bowl several times with a rubber spatula.
4. Add the dry ingredients on low speed and continue to blend for 10 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, 2 to 2-1/2 minutes. Scrape the bowl.
5. Add the Chocolate Chips and Nuts with several turns of the mixer, then complete the mixing by hand with a wooden spoon.
6. Measure out generous rounded tablespoonfuls of dough and roll them into balls with your hands.
7. Place the balls 1-1/2 inches apart on the cookie sheets and press them down lightly to form a flat bottom (cookie should be about 1/2-inch thick).
8. Bake the cookies until they are crunchy and golden, about 1 hour. To test for doneness, remove one cookie from the sheet and cut it in half. There should be no doughy strip in the center. Allow the cookies to cool on a rack.
9. Makes 15 - 17 cookies.