Maple Cookies: Grade A Deliciousness

Maple Cookies: Grade A Deliciousness! Grade A deliciousness, because maple syrup can be Grade A and....? Not clever? Nevermind.

I like maple. I especially like those little maple syrup candies that dissolve in your mouth and ggjklfljg, so good. I think they're at least 99% sugar and therefor you increase your likelihood to get cavities and diabetes about a billion fold with each delicious, pancreas crippling bite. Worth it? Probably.

So continuing with my obsession with autumn treats, I decided to go with something maple flavored. A glazed maple sugar cookie appealed to me because I envisioned a glaze quite like those maple candies. I don't usually like sugar cookies much because they tend to be bland or lemon flavored. Or bland and lemon flavored. Mmm, bland and yet tasting slightly of window cleaner? No thanks.

I remembered the other reason I don't like sugar cookies while I was making this recipe. They take SO LONG to make. I am not skilled in the practice of delayed gratification, I want my cookies to be over and done with in 30 minutes, not 5 hours. And I even made Joe roll them out for me. However, these are pretty good and I would make them again. In fact, I will make them again because I have half the batch of dough frozen right now. I didn't look at the recipe closely and only realized how many cookies the recipe would make when I read the direction to add 4 cups of flour. So after making the dough, I immediately froze half of it, thinking there was no way we would go through that many cookies.



Well, I was wrong. By the time I had finished making all the cookies, Joe and BJ had devoured half of them. They get a boy stamp of approval, apparently. A girl stamp too. I don't like my cookies too crispy and preferred the cookies that were a bit thicker and softer. And the frosting really is delicious, very much like my beloved maple candies. The cookies definitely need the frosting, the cookies are okay without it but outstanding with it.

I'm glad I only made half the batch though, I was sick and tired of rolling out, stamping, baking and frosting cookies by the time this was over. My last batch is very sad looking, with the icing just sort of slopped over. But who cares, the boys will just eat them all tomorrow before lapsing into a diabetic coma.

A word about the icing: I didn't have any powdered sugar and was too lazy to go buy some. I tried to fudge it by blending sugar and cornstarch in the food processor and while it fooled me, it clearly did not fool the icing. My icing crystallized and would not smooth out no matter what. But clearly my fault and still tasted delicious. That's why the cookies in the photo are unfrosted-- the iced ones weren't as pretty. And it's my blog and I can do what I want, bwa ha ha!

Recipe from foodtv:

Maple Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

Cookies:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon maple extract
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
  
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Heavy cream

Maple Glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup maple sugar
• 1 teaspoon maple extract
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, cream the butter, then gradually add the sugar and continue to beat. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, maple extract, and maple syrup, and beat until light and fluffy.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Thoroughly blend into the butter mixture. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll the dough out 1/4-inch thick. With a drinking glass, cut out cookies and transfer to parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the cookies with heavy cream. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile make the maple glaze. Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until it just reaches the boiling point. Brush or dip the tops of the cookies in the maple glaze while still hot. Let cool. These taste better the next day.

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And oh, that brush the top with cream thing? Not necessary. I experimented and brushed a few with cream and they came out weird and crackly on the top with no difference in taste once they were glazed. So I didn't brush any of the rest of them with cream, it's just an extra step and the extra fat grams squeezed in there don't make a difference so why bother?

Can't vouch for the taste better the next day thing, I haven't eaten another today. But they were pretty darn good last night!

Taking a break from fall treats, I think Joe will murder me if I make another spiced dessert. Also, I'm out of cinnamon. Maybe something with bananas? Suggest away.