Description
Soft and chewy maple brown sugar cookies with crisp edges, crunchy pecans, rich maple flavor, and a smooth maple icing. These cozy fall cookies are perfect for holiday platters, cookie exchanges, or an afternoon treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans, optional
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for the icing
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, for the icing
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 pinch salt, for the icing
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl, then set aside.
- Beat the softened butter and dark brown sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, until light and creamy.
- Add the egg and beat on high speed for about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add the maple syrup, vanilla extract, and maple extract, then beat on high speed for about 1 minute until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined.
- Add the chopped pecans and mix on low speed until evenly incorporated.
- Cover the soft dough and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Scoop about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll into balls, and arrange them 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 12 to 13 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and set while the centers still look very soft.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt the butter and maple syrup for the icing together in a small saucepan over low heat, whisking occasionally.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the sifted confectioners’ sugar and salt until smooth.
- Drizzle the maple icing over the cooled cookies and let it set for about 1 hour before serving.
Notes
- Chilling the dough for at least 2 hours is essential because it limits spreading and helps create thick, chewy centers.
- Use pure maple syrup rather than pancake syrup for the strongest maple flavor.
- Dark brown sugar gives the cookies a deeper caramel flavor, but light brown sugar may be substituted.
- Maple extract gives the cookies a more pronounced maple taste.
- The pecans are optional and may be replaced with chopped walnuts.
- Toast the pecans before adding them for a richer, nuttier flavor.
- If the dough chills longer than 3 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before shaping.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freeze baked cookies or unbaked cookie dough balls for up to 3 months.
- Bake frozen cookie dough balls for about 1 additional minute without thawing.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 196
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 74
- Fat: 9
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 18