Brown Butter Pecan Praline Oatmeal Cookies

 Originally published August 26, 2012

My friend, Kristin Whittlesey is a cookie-making master. A master baker...er, a cookie monster. Yes, let's stick with cookie monster.

Anyway, she makes amazing cookies. A couple of years ago, we had a bake sale fundraiser to benefit flood victims to which she contributed her Midnight Cookies. I ate a lot of wonderful treats that day (including the Rosemary Olive Oil Cake made by Jennifer Justus), but my favorite of the event was the Midnight Cookies.

And now she's done it again. At a recent fundraiser, she added a second cookie: the Brown Butter Pecan Praline Oatmeal Cookie. That's an impressive title for an even more impressive cookie. This cookie is amazing. Delicious. Fantastic. And all the other words, too.

Kristin got the recipe from Anna at Cookie Madness. And madness, it is. Holy cow, that's a lot of butter. And work! If I ever want to have these cookies again, I will have to ingratiate myself to Kristin, because I ain't makin' 'em.

Brown Butter Pecan Praline Oatmeal Cookies
yield: about 3 dozen cookies

Cookies:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Praline Glaze:
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Place butter in heavy saucepan and melt over medium heat. Keep over heat until butter starts to bubble and turn brown. Turn off heat and swirl brown butter. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, whisk together flour, soda, salt and cinnamon.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together brown and granulated sugars. Add browned butter and stir until thoroughly mixed. Stir in eggs and vanilla, followed by flour mixture, oats and pecans. At this point you may chill the dough if desired, but it's not really necessary.

5. Spoon dough by rounded tablespoons onto nonstick or parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheets 1 minute, then remove to large sheet of parchment or waxed paper to glaze.

6. In a saucepan (you can use same pan from browning the butter), melt 6 Tbsp. butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Turn off heat and whisk in confectioners sugar and vanilla until smooth and no lumps. Spoon over oatmeal cookies. Glaze will set as it cools.

Kristin's notes: The glaze will set as it cools. You just have to leave it alone for a while. If the glaze in the pan sets up too much while you're drizzling it,  re-heat while stirring until it thins back out.