Rustic Maple Pecan Cookies
(from saymyname’s recipe box)
48 cookies
Source: Great Cookies, by Carole Walter
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour , spooned in and leveled
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon imitation maple extract
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup superfine sugar
- 1/2 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped toasted pecans
Directions
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Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat oven to 350°; moderately butter cookie sheets.
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In a 3-quart saucepan, melt the butter and set aside to cool to tepid.
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Strain together the flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
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Using a wooden spoon, add the maple syrup to the butter, mixing well.
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Blend in the egg, orange juice, and maple and vanilla extracts.
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Whisk in the sugars, stirring until well combined and free of lumps.
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Stir in the dry ingredients in three additions, then fold in the nuts with a large rubber spatula.
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Using the tip of a teaspoon, drop mounds of dough the size of large walnuts onto the cookie sheets, placing them 2 inches apart.
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Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges just begin to brown, rotating the pans top to bottom and front to back toward the end of the baking time.
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Remove from oven and let stand for 2-3 minutes before loosening with a thin metal spatula; cool on wire racks.
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Store in airtight containers, layered between strips of wax paper, for up to 3 weeks; cookies may be frozen.
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*Rustic Maple Pecan Date Cookies—reduced chopped pecans to 3/4 cup; measure 1 cup loosely packed dates cut into 1/4 inch dice and toss them into 1 teaspoon flour to prevent them from sticking together; mix dates with the pecans and proceed as directed.