Chocolate Pecan and Praline Cookies

Ok so you know how I said my best recipe ever was my Paleo Triple Chocolate Mint Brownies? Well I lied. Because this is my best recipe ever. Seriously. You know how they always say you are your harshest critic? Well not today! After I tasted these I jumped up and down in pure chocolate delight, amazed that I actually just woke up this morning, went in the kitchen and made these! I’m not kidding you guys, these are INSANELY delicious. INSANE!

So how did this recipe come about? Well that’s a funny story! (Not really but I needed a transitional phrase to capture your attention.) So my good friend from High School, Marin, was actually the one that made me start this blog in the first place. And by made I mean politely suggested, “Hey why don’t you start a blog?” I had been posting pictures of all the Paleo goodies I made on Facebook and Instagram and her suggestion made me start to think maybe I should. Then I was like, “but who would ever read it, what if I suck at it, what if my recipes are lame?” and then I thought “I’m sick of what if’s. Why not? I’m gonna do it!” and now here you are reading it and it’s become an incredibly important and fun part of my life! So moral of the story move on from the “what if’s” and in the words of Nike…Just do it.

Okay so pep talk over and back to cookies. SO Marin has been such a huge supporter of my Blog from the beginning and currently still is, so much so that I wanted to make a special recipe just for her. So while we were talking last night I asked her what she wanted me to make and without the slightest hesitation she said, “I’m a fan of Chocolate Pecan Praline.” Challenge extended…Challenge ACCEPTED! And that’s how this recipe came to life. So I woke up at the wee crack of dawn, okay like 7am and got to work! Just like you should. On these cookies. Right now. They will change your life, swear to gosh.

Paleo Chocolate Pecan and Praline Cookies
*Makes 18 Cookies

Chocolate Pecan Cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups sifted almond flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 eggs
1/3 heaping cup Chocolate Hazelnut Brownie Nikki’s Coconut Butter (softened)
1/4 cup raw honey (liquid)
2 tablespoon coconut oil (liquid)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Praline and Chocolate Topping
Ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped pecans (crushed)
4 heaping tablespoons Macadamia Nut Cookie Nikki’s Coconut Butter (softened)
4 tablespoons coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
1 cup chocolate chips (for chocolate drizzle)

Directions:
1. Make the Chocolate Pecan Cookies first, while they are baking prepare your Praline topping.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F.

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the dry ingredients together with a fork, almond meal, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

5. Add the chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of chopped pecans to the dry mixture and stir evenly.

6. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients together, eggs, softened Chocolate Hazelnut Brownie Nikki’s Coconut Butter, honey, coconut oil, and vanilla extract.

7. Make a crater in the center of your dry mix and pour the wet ingredients into it. Stir together the wet ingredients into the dry until evenly mixed.

8. Let dough chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

9. Once your dough is ready, make medium sized cookie shaped balls using the palm of your hand. The dough won’t spread while cooking so the shape you make them will be the shape you end up with. Place on the parchment lined baking sheet.

10. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

11. To make the pralines, crush the 1/4 cup of chopped pecans. I put mine on a paper plate, covered it with another paper plate and then pounded it with the handle of my knife sharpener. Worked like a champ.

12. Place your crushed pecans in a medium sized bowl. Add the pinch of salt, then add the softened Macadamia Nut Cookie Nikki’s Coconut Butter, coconut palm sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.

13. Now toast the pecan mixture in a pan over medium heat, constantly moving and flipping them with a spatula (you don’t want them to burn) until they become a nice toasty golden brown. They will smell incredible and then you’ll know they’re done. (About 10 minutes).

14. Once the cookies are finished baking, let them cool. Then transfer the cookies onto a sheet of parchment paper to add the praline and chocolate toppings.

15. Melt your chocolate using the double boiler method. Transfer the melted chocolate to a piping bag with desired tip, or my ghetto fabulous way, a Ziploc baggie with a hole cut in the corner, and drizzle the chocolate over the cookies.

16. While the chocolate is still wet, crumble some pralines over the top of the cookie into the wet chocolate. Then add another layer of chocolate drizzle to set the pralines. Let harden and enjoy!

Notes:
Could you sub the Nikki’s Coconut Butter? WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO?! Have you tasted this stuff? It’s SCARY good. Seriously you guys, go support a small business and buy yourself some jars. I promise promise promise you won’t regret it. Look I promised 3 times, that’s serious.

Nomnommongnomnomnom…hmm? What? (wiping chocolate and praline crumbs off my face) We’re back and I need to finish this blog post? Hold on…(shoving one last huge bite in my mouth and wiping my fingers on my jeans) okay…So did you make these Paleo Chocolate Pecan and Praline Cookies yet or what? No? Then I’m going to go back to eating mine…

So our friend Tim (Brad’s BFF) is visiting this weekend from Florida for the long Memorial Day weekend. He got into town and to be nice I was like, “Look Tim I made you cookies to welcome you back to San Diego and into our home!” Then I gagged on my Martha Stewart hospitality and told him just kidding these cookies aren’t for you, they’re for Marin and for my blog. He isn’t Paleo in the slightest (shocked, I know) and he’s allergic to pecans so he couldn’t eat them anyway. So I made Brad taste test these cookies for the both of them and…he was in complete and total shock! He couldn’t believe these were Paleo cookies. Brad and Tim (Beavis and Butthead) gave them two Non-Paleo Eater thumbs up! Tim’s was in spirit since he couldn’t actually eat the cookies. So like I said before, these cookies are good. Don’t take my word for it, make them yourselves.

Needless to say I’m so incredibly happy this recipe came out so well for Marin (and for you guys), since she is kinda the whole reason this blog came to life. I couldn’t make her a just whatever recipe, it had to be spectacular! Oh and the praline recipe by itself? OMG! I’m going to put it on everything! Muffins, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, trail mix, EVERYTHING! Or just by itself, I don’t even need a reason. Toodles.