Soft peanut butter praline cookies
These soft, melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter cookies are studded with crunchy pieces of homemade praline for the perfect nutty treat.
Equipment
- Skillet
- Mixing bowls
- Hand or stand mixer
- Baking tray
- Parchment paper or aluminum foil
Ingredients
Praline
- 1/4 cup nuts of your choice (I use almonds)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
Cookie dough
- 2 cup (250g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (75g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (130g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the praline
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
- Place the nuts in a ziptop bag and smash with a rolling pin until coarsely crushed. You can also use a food processor if you have one.
- In a small skillet, add the sugar and salt and spread evenly across the surface of the pan. Over low-medium heat, melt the sugar, stirring occasionally to help evenly distribute the heat.
- Once the sugar is completely melted and golden brown, remove from the stove and quickly pour onto the parchment paper. Immediately sprinkle the surface of the melted sugar with nuts and use a spatula or spoon to press the nuts into the sugar. If you have leftover nuts, set the aside to add to the dough later.
- Once the sugar has completely hardened, use your rolling pin to smash it into small pieces. You can also use a food processor if you have one. Make sure not to crush the pieces too finely.
Make the cookie dough
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F
- In a small bowl, mix together the all purpose flour, salt, and baking soda
- In a medium bowl, add your unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to cream together until light and fluffy. Add the peanut butter and mix until well-incorporated. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well-incorporated.
- Add half the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low speed until a cohesive dough forms. Add the praline pieces and any leftover crushed nuts, and use a spatula to fold them in
- Shape the dough into balls about 2 tbsp large. Place them 1 - 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 13 - 14 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes to firm up.