Description
Maple Brown Sugar Cookies have crisp edges, thick chewy centers, crunchy pecans, rich brown sugar flavor, and a smooth maple icing. Chilling the dough helps the cookies hold their shape and creates a soft bakery-style texture.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 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
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for the maple icing
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, for the maple icing
- 1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
- 1 pinch salt, for the maple 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 just until evenly incorporated.
- Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- If the dough chilled for longer than 3 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before shaping.
- Scoop about 1 1/2 tablespoons or 35 grams of dough for each cookie and roll each portion into a ball.
- Arrange the dough balls about 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 12 to 13 minutes, until the edges look 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 2 tablespoons butter with 1/3 cup maple syrup in a small saucepan over low heat, whisking occasionally.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat once the butter melts, then whisk in the sifted confectioners’ sugar and a pinch of salt until smooth.
- Drizzle the maple icing over the completely cooled cookies.
- Let the icing set for about 1 hour before serving or storing the cookies.
Notes
- Chill the cookie dough for at least 2 hours because the maple syrup makes the dough soft and prone to spreading.
- Use pure maple syrup rather than pancake syrup for the best flavor and texture.
- For stronger maple flavor, use dark or robust pure maple syrup and keep the maple extract in the dough.
- Toast the pecans at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes, then cool them before adding them to the dough.
- Do not overbake the cookies; the centers should still look soft when they leave the oven.
- Store the cookies tightly covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freeze un-iced baked cookies or shaped dough balls for up to 3 months.
- Nutrition values are estimated per cookie based on a yield of 30 cookies.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 218
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 78
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 6
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 31
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 22