Pecan-Praline Cookie Pizza

Part giant cookie, part praline, and sliced like a pizza. A buttery brown sugar shortbread gets pressed into a 12-inch pizza pan, baked golden, then topped with a sweetened sour cream layer and covered with toasted pecans. As it cools, the topping sets into something like a creamy praline spread.

The sour cream goes on while the crust is still hot from the oven. That heat starts setting the topping immediately, so spread it quickly and evenly. The tanginess of the sour cream cuts through the brown sugar sweetness in a way that straight frosting never could.

Only the egg yolk goes into the dough, no white. That’s what keeps the crust tender and crumbly like shortbread rather than chewy like a regular cookie.

Chef Tips

• Toast the pecans before placing them on top. Raw pecans taste flat; toasted pecans bring out their natural oils and a deeper, nuttier flavor.
• Build up the edge of the dough slightly when pressing into the pan. This creates a small lip that holds the sour cream topping in place.
• Let the pizza cool completely before cutting. The topping needs time to firm up, and cutting too early makes a gooey mess.
• Refrigerate leftovers. The sour cream topping is dairy-based and won’t hold at room temperature overnight.

Variations

• Drizzle melted dark chocolate over the cooled pizza for a chocolate-pecan praline version.
• Swap pecans for walnuts or a mix of toasted nuts.
• Add a pinch of flaky sea salt over the top before the topping sets for a sweet-salty contrast.