• Preheat the oven to 350° and prepare a large baking sheet. Cover your baking pans with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients; flour, baking soda, and salt then set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and both the brown and white sugars until light and fluffy. A stand mixer is perfect for this but you can use a handheld mixer also.
• Now add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Add the flour while the mixer is on medium, a small amount at a time so it does not come flying out of the bowl. Keep adding the flour and scraping down the sides of the bowl until it is all added. Add the vanilla and blend well.
• Fold in the chocolate chips, caramel bits, and pecans using a spatula. Be sure to fold well so these goodies are distributed well through the cookie dough.

Baking the cookies

• Use a medium cookie dough scoop to portion the dough onto your prepared baking sheets. Space the dough balls about 2 inches apart, do not press down. Then press a pecan half onto the top of each cookie dough ball.
• Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 8 to 10 minutes per pan. Cooking times may vary as oven temperatures vary. Some ovens cook faster than others.
• Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the cookie sheets for about 5 to 7 minutes. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Optional Decorating

• Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl, stirring every 10 to 15 seconds.
• Pour the melted chocolate into a decorator bag or use a spoon to drizzle over the cooled cookies.

Storing Cookies

• Store freshly baked cookies after they are completely cooled in an air-tight container. If you have drizzled melted chocolate on top of the cookies, you will want to store them in a single layer.