Brown Butter Bourbon Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies

By Ellen Fruchtman, President

Don’t let the length of this recipe scare you. It’s easy and so worth it!

For the Buttered Pecans:

• 1 ½ C pecan halves finely chopped
• 1 ½ TBS unsalted butter

For the Cookies:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted until browned
• 2 ½ Cups all-purpose flout
• 1 teas. Salt
• ½ teas. Ground cinnamon
• ½ teas. Baking soda
• 1 teas. Baking powder
• 1 C dark brown sugar, packed
• ½ C granulated sugar
• 2 teas. Vanilla extract
• 3 TBS bourbon
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 8 ounces semi-sweet OR dark chocolate, roughly chopped into chunks
• 24 pecan halves for decoration (optional - but recommended)
• 1 TBS flaky sea salt (optional - but recommended)

For the Brown Butter:

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue to cook the butter, swirling the pan occasionally. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn. The top should be foamy, and you should hear tiny popping noises. It should be a nice amber color with tiny bits on the bottom. Once it’s at this stage, remove it from the stove and pour it into a large mixing bowl.

For the Cookies:

1. Combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the melted browned butter and both sugars and beat on medium speed until about 1 minute.
3. Add in the vanilla and bourbon and beat until combined.
4. Add in eggs one at a time, beating for 15 seconds after each addition. Turn the mixer off. Using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula, gently fold in the flour, stirring only until the flour begins to disappear. Fold in the chocolate chunks and buttered pecans.
5. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 4 hours.

To Bake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
   
2. Using a large cookie scoop, divide the dough into 3-tablespoon-sized balls and place them onto the prepared sheets, leaving about 3 inches in between each ball of dough for spreading.
   
3. Firmly press a pecan half on top of each ball of dough.
   
4. Bake one tray at a time for 12 minutes OR until golden brown. If any edges spread out while baking, use a spatula and gently press them back in as soon as you remove the cookies from the oven.
   
5. Press extra chocolate chunks and pecan pieces on the top of the warm cookies, then sprinkle with sea salt.
   
6. Allow it to cool on the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack.

It seems like a lot of steps, but these are worth it! Enjoy!!