These cookies are crunchy, sweet, salty, and a little chewy from the caramel. For two small variations on the recipe, the pecans could also be substituted with peanuts or walnuts, and the chocolate chips substituted with chocolate peanut butter candies.
Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
Cream butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large plastic, glass or stainless steel bowl if mixing by hand or with a hand mixer.)
While butter and sugar are creaming, measure dry ingredients in a large bowl: add flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir or whisk to combine.
In a small bowl, toss ½ cup each of the mix-ins with ¼ cup of flour. Set aside.
Add vanilla and almond extract to butter and sugar mixture, then add eggs one at a time, mixing until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of your bowl to ensure all ingredients are properly mixed.
Add flour to butter and sugar, mixing until mostly combined. If using a stand mixer, remove the bowl and fold in by hand all of the mix-ins that were set aside in the small bowl.
Scoop cookies onto a parchment-lined baking tray, about 2 tbsp of dough per cookie. Top each cookie with a piece of caramel, a few chocolate chips, and a pretzel, pressing them in to slightly flatten the top.
Bake cookies, 12-15 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.