Maple Brown Sugar Cookies

Shared from my cousin Marianne that she found on “Sallys Baking addiction.com blog” 

With big flavor, crisp edges, mega chewy centers, and maple icing, these maple brown sugar cookies are a definite favorite. Chilling the cookie dough is imperative, so set aside 2 hours or prepare the cookie dough the day before.

Ingredients

2 and 1/3 cups (290g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (115g; 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup (200g) packed dark brown sugar*

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/3 cup (80ml) pure maple syrup* Grade A or B - not breakfast syrup!

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon maple extract* (McCormicks makes )

1 cup (130g) chopped pecans*

MAPLE ICING **** Cut this in half as it makes enough for 2 batches of dough in my opinion*** 

2 Tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter

1/3 cup (80ml) pure maple syrup

1 cup (112g) sifted confectioners’ sugar*

pinch salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

2.  Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add the 

egg and beat on high until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the maple syrup, vanilla extract, and maple extract, then beat on high speed until combined.

3.  Pour the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, then mix on low until combined. Add the pecans, then beat on low speed until combined. Dough will be creamy and soft.

4.  Cover and chill the dough for 2 hours in the refrigerator (and up to 3-4 days). If chilling for longer than a few hours, though, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking because the dough will be quite hard.

5.  Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

6.  Roll cookie dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie. A cookie scoop is helpful. Bake each batch for 12-13 minutes until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft.

7.  Remove from the oven. If your warm cookies look puffy, lightly bang the pan on the counter when you remove it from the oven. That will help slightly deflate the cookies, creating lovely cracks as you see in the pictured cookies. Cool cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.