Granola Cookies with Chocolate Chips

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 a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until it is 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 it is just incorporated. Using a large spatula, fold in the toasted pecans, chocolate chips and dried apricots.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of the cookie 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 they are 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.