Praline Cookies, the 1986 Winners

These praline cookies are closer to candy than a traditional cookie. Brown sugar and butter cream together into a rich, caramel-scented base, and chopped pecans give every bite a toasty crunch. There’s no baking powder or baking soda in this recipe, which is exactly why the cookies stay flat, chewy, and almost praline-like in texture.

Flatten each ball to about ⅛ inch before baking. That thin shape is the whole point. You get crisp, lacy edges with a soft, chewy center that firms up as the cookies cool on the sheet.

Don’t rush the cooling. They’ll seem too soft straight from the oven, but they set up as they sit. Try to move them too early and they’ll fall apart in your hands.

Chef Tips

• Pack the brown sugar firmly. This is where all the sweetness and moisture come from. Loosely measured sugar means dry, crumbly cookies.
• Flatten them thin. Walnut-sized balls pressed to ⅛ inch bake into the right chewy-crisp texture. Too thick and the centers stay underdone.
• Watch the clock after 10 minutes. The window between golden brown and burnt is narrow on thin cookies. Pull them when the edges darken and the centers still look slightly underset.
• Cool completely on the sheet before moving them. They firm up as they cool and will break if you handle them too soon.

Variations

• Pecan praline sandwiches: Spread a thin layer of caramel or chocolate ganache between two cooled cookies.
• Salted praline cookies: Sprinkle flaky sea salt over each cookie right after they come out of the oven for a sweet-salty contrast.