Chef notes
Louisville, Kentucky, my father’s hometown, is known for its wonderful desserts, bourbon and so much more. My father absolutely loved sweets. Pies, cobblers, chocolate chip cookies, butter pecan ice cream ... you name it!
Whenever we would stay in a hotel and order room service, I always remember a full tray of cookies. So I decided to combine the ingredients that my father loved to create a Louisville-inspired cookie. The smell of these cookies baking in the oven brings back so many memories. My recipe is gluten free, the flour I use can easily be substituted with regular flour.
Technique tip: Depending on your oven, bake for 8 to 10 minutes. If you want a chewy cookie, do not over bake. Remove after 8 minutes when cookies look done, but are still slightly soft in the middle. They will continue cooking for a few minutes once they come out of the oven.
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 sticks salted butter, room temperature, divided
- 3/4 cup raw pecans, rough chopped
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 2 tablespoons, plus ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preparation
1.Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2.In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour and baking soda until well combined.
3.In a small saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter over medium heat.
4.Add the pecans, 1 tablespoon of bourbon, 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar and the sea salt. Cook, stirring often, until mixture turns golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
5.Remove mixture from the heat and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
6.In a large mixing bowl, using a silicone spatula, mix the melted butter mixture, remaining stick of butter, sugar and ½ cup brown sugar until well combined.
7.Add the eggs and vanilla extract and stir until well combined and smooth.
8.Add the dry ingredients and fold to combine.
9.Add the chocolate chips and fold to combine. The dough should be moist, but if it is too sticky, add 2 to 3 additional tablespoons of flour, as needed.
10.Using a ½-ounce scoop (1 tablespoon), portion the dough, roll into balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing each ball 3-inches apart to account for spreading.
11.Gently press down on each ball to flatten cookies halfway.
12.Bake until the edges are just set, but still soft in the middle, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before serving.
