Chocolate Chip Granola Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the pecans in a pie plate and bake for 8 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Let the pecans cool, then coarsely chop them.

In a small bowl, mix the oats with the flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat at medium speed until blended, scraping down the side of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the oat mixture at low speed until just incorporated. Using a large spatula, fold in the pecans, chocolate chips and dried apricots.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing them at least 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for about 16 minutes, until lightly browned; shift the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through for even baking. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.