Ingredients (~18 cookies)
For the Cinnamon-Roasted Pecans
- 1 1/4 cups pecan halves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Cookie Dough
- 14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Roasting the Pecans
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
On a baking sheet, put the pecan halves and add melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed on each pecan half.
Cook the pecans for about 12-15 minutes or until dark brown and your home smells deliciously nutty.
When you roast pecans in this way, it extracts oils from the nut, which enhances their flavor.
Let the roasted pecans cool completely before chopping into pieces.
Preparing the Cookie Dough
In a large bowl, melt the butter on low heat or in the microwave until it is just warm, but not hot enough to burn your fingers.
Then add both sugars, brown and white, and stir them with the melted butter until fully incorporated.
Next, add an egg and yolk and mix in well, followed by adding molasses and vanilla extract.
At this point, your cookie dough will thicken and come together nicely.
Next, add the flour, baking soda, and sea salt into the same bowl.
Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the dough.
Stop mixing when you see some flour streaks mixed into the dough.
Now add the roasted chopped pecans and the dark and white baking chips, and mix in with your hand until you have dough.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
This step allows the dough to hydrate properly, which prevents spreading while baking.
Scoop and Bake Cookies
Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper.
Use a large scoop (approximately 3 tsp.) to measure cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet.
For a very rich flavour, it is best to freeze these cookie dough balls first, either for two hours or overnight, before baking.
To bake, preheat the oven to 350F.
Place frozen dough balls on the cookie sheet 2″ apart from each other.
You do not need to thaw before baking.
Bake for about 12-14 minutes.
When finished, the edges should be light golden brown while the centre should look pale or slightly undercooked.
This is what gives the cookie its gooey centre!
When you remove the baking sheet from the oven, press a few extra chocolate chips into the tops and sprinkle flake sea salt on top.
Allow the cookies to cool completely for about 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to continue cooling.
The cookies need to cool completely for the correct texture.
Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon-Roasted Pecans
- 1 1/4 cups pecan halves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Cookie Dough
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 3/4 sticks
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 1/2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Flaky sea salt for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Toss pecans with melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt on baking sheet.
- Roast pecans 12-15 minutes until darkened, then cool and chop.
- Melt butter for dough in large bowl. Whisk in both sugars until combined.
- Whisk in egg, egg yolk, molasses, and vanilla until thickened.
- Fold in flour, baking soda, and salt until few streaks remain.
- Add chopped pecans and both chocolate chips, fold until just combined.
- Chill dough 30 minutes.
- Scoop 3-tablespoon portions onto parchment-lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart.
- Bake 12-14 minutes until edges are golden but centers slightly underdone.
- Press extra chocolate chips into tops and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Cool on baking sheet 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
