Pecan Praline Almond Cookies

If you're looking for a cookie that's not the usual - here it is.

There's nothing wrong with the standard chocolate chip cookies, or traditional peanut butter cookies, but if you bring these to a party or potluck or cookie exchange, you won't find another one like it.

These cookies have a buttery flavor with a hint of almond, and the praline pecan adds a second nutty sweet crunch to the cookie.

The cookies themselves are light and a little crumbly, but with some chew. Make them once, and you'll make them again. I promise.

The Praline Pecans I used were from Truly Good Foods, supplied for this challenge.

Pecan Praline Almond Cookies
By Donna Currie, Cookistry

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Praline Pecans (one to top each cookie)

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Beat the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and almond at medium speed in a medium bowl with an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat for a few minutes, until the mixture is fluffy.

Drizzle the oil in while continuing to beat the butter mixer at low speed.

Add the flour mixture in several additions, beating just enough to blend it well.

Use a small scoop to form balls of dough (try for about 24 cookies, but more or less is fine - it just depends on how many cookies you want), and place them on the baking sheets, leaving room between them to spread. Flatten the cookies with the palm of your hand, then place one praline pecan on top of each cookie. The cookies will puff up as they bake.

Bake at 350°F until the cookies are lightly browned, 13-17 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. If you're baking 2 sheets of cookies at a time, you'll probably want to swap them around after about 10 minutes of baking.

Remove the cookies from the sheets and let them cool completely on a rack. Continue forming and baking cookies until all the dough is used.