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These delicious Pecan Praline Cookies are packed with chunks of buttery pralines, crunchy pecans and sweet chocolate chips.
I’m a Southern gal, born and raised in the Deep South – New Orleans to be exact. I grew up watching pralines being made in the kitchens of my aunts and on any stroll through the French Quarter on any given day, I would see the ladies stirring the big copper pots of butter and sugar at any one of the various praline stores.
Even though I grew up around pralines, I never tried making them until last year. Pralines are a bit like candy and making candy has always been a little intimidating to me. Last year, I decided to throw caution to the wind and make some pralines and while doing so I created Butter Pecan Cupcakes and added little bits of pralines to the top of each cupcakes. Since pralines are so easy to make, I make them all the time.
Pralines are truly a treat. They’re crumbly and buttery and each bite melts-in-your mouth. They’re a sinfully delicious dessert (or candy) and they’re addictive in the best way possible. You only need a few ingredients to make pralines. Butter, brown sugar, milk and of course, pecans. Making pralines is a fast process and you can’t leave the pot to do anything else until they’re finished. Once you start the process of making pralines, it goes quickly and there’s no time to search for an ingredient. Last year, I wrote up a tutorial on making pralines which you might find helpful if you want to make a batch.
I decided to take my original praline recipe, which yields about 2 dozen amazing pralines and adjust it so I only made about 8. Personally, I think 8 pralines is the perfect number. Any more and I’d be breaking off little pieces and snacking on them throughout the day.
Pralines are sweet – very sweet, but since I crumble the pralines into the cookie dough, the little pieces you discover as you bite into the Pecan Praline Cookies are a lovely buttery, melt-in-your-mouth surprise.
Very quickly, here’s how you make the mini-batch of pralines…
Combine 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of heavy cream and a tablespoon of butter in a heavy medium-sized pot on a medium-high heat.
Stir everything together.
When the mixture comes to a boil, start stirring constantly.
Add 1/4 cup chopped pecans. Let the mixture boil for 3 minutes, still stirring constantly.
Remove the pot from the heat. Continue to stir for 1 minute longer. The syrup will become creamy and cloudy and will start to thicken. Next, carefully drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper and let cool.
Be careful. The syrup is extremely hot.
While the pralines are cooling, make the cookie batter and add in crumbled pieces of pralines and chocolate chips. Bake the cookies in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
These Pecan Praline Cookies are soft and chewy in the middle. The buttery taste of the pralines compliment the sweetness of the chocolate chips. These cookies are easy to make and are perfect to serve around the holidays.
Pecan Praline Cookies
Ingredients
PRALINES
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup pecans , chopped
COOKIES
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Combine the sugars, the heavy cream and the butter in a medium-sized pot over a medium-high heat.
- When the mixture comes to aboil, start stirring constantly. Add the pecans. Let it boil and continue stirring for 3 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir for 1 minute more. The syrup will become creamy and cloudy and will start to thicken.
- Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper. Let cool.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
- Beat butter, sugars and vanilla extract in large mixing bowl until creamy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Slowly add in flour mixture.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Crumble pralines and fold to cookie batter.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes on until golden brown.
- Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Is it terrible to admit that I would make the pralines and stop at that? They are so beautiful and look so appetizing, that I’d be glad to just eat one of them and forget breaking them into another cookie.
These cookies sound fantastic! I love amazing cookie recipes! Keep bringing them.
Thank you Miranda!