Cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract until well combined.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.

Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour to prevent spreading.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Use a large cookie scoop to place dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2-3 inches between each. Slightly flatten the top of each dough ball.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are still soft and slightly underdone.

While the cookies bake, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, egg, vanilla extract, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in the chopped pecans.

As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use the back of a spoon to create a slight indentation in the center of each warm cookie. Spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of the pecan pie topping into each indentation.

Place the baking sheets under the broiler for 1-3 minutes, watching carefully for the topping to bubble and lightly caramelize without burning.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for at least 15-20 minutes for the topping to set, as they will be fragile when warm.