I can’t say it enough: I adore cookies. Chocolate chip cookies, to be exact. It’s been a while since I had baked them, so once I got a free Sunday, I thought I’d prep a small batch.

I wanted to try something new aside from my usual chunky chocolate chip cookie recipe though. So I looked around our pantry and picked a few items I thought would be interesting to use. Aside from the usual ingredients, I decided on dark chocolate chips and praline pecans to be the stars of the show.

The recipe I’ll be sharing is based on and inspired by this Sally’s Baking Addiction recipe. I reduced the volume and tweaked a few things to suit my preference. I kept the brown butter because I personally love using it in baked goods for the added depth of flavor. I also decided to add a sprinkle of sea salt to temper the combined sweetness of the cookie base and the praline pecans.

Baking really is therapeutic for me, and the fact that I was satisfied with how the cookies turned out is a lovely bonus. I hope that if you give this recipe a shot, you’ll be quite pleased with it too!

Yield: 1 dozen regular-sized cookies

Total time: 2 hours and 45 minutes (excluding chilling overnight)

Ingredients:

• 115 grams unsalted butter
• 100 grams brown sugar
• 50 grams granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 155 grams flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 115 grams dark chocolate chips
• 65 grams chopped praline pecans
• Sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions:

1. Brown the butter in a pan, transfer to a large bowl, and let cool for 5 minutes.
2. After the brown butter has cooled a bit, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and whisk.
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk until blended.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Mix.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir.
6. Add the dark chocolate chips and praline pecans and gently fold them in. Be careful not to overmix your cookie batter.
7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Overnight is best to develop flavor.
8. Take the chilled dough out of the refrigerator and let sit on the counter while you preheat your oven to 180°C.
9. Scoop the dough into the size you prefer. If the dough is too hard, leave the dough on the counter for a few more minutes.
10. Place the scooped dough on a lined cookie sheet with enough space to spread (at least 3 inches).
11. Bake the cookies for about 12–15 minutes (depending on size).
12. Take the cookies out of the oven, sprinkle some sea salt, and let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet.
13. Serve and enjoy!

You can also freeze scooped cookie dough and keep them for as long as 3 months, though I doubt they’ll last that long! You can bake them from frozen and just add a minute to the baking time.

Like I said, I loved how they turned out—the aroma of the cinnamon, the slight crunch on the edges, the soft center, the gooey chocolate, plus the nutty flavor from both the pecans and the brown butter. I highly suggest you give this cookie recipe a try. Happy baking!