Maple Cinnamon Sugar Cookies w/ Brown Butter Maple Glaze & Toasted Pecans

Do you like Sugar Cookies?

A sprinkling of Cinnamon?

What about Maple syrup?

And toasted Pecans?

Y E S

Then I have a scrumptious recipe combining all of these ingredients for the best of Autumn cookies lovely enough for your Thanksgiving dessert table.

Last week after a long day of running errands with my Mom and sister, out in the cold, drizzling rain I came home and was so ready to get out of my clothes and into my comfy pajamas. I did just that and then got to break out the bad boy; my Kitchen Aid 7 qt mixer, for a big batch of homemade cookies. I love maple bars, maple cake, maple just about anything and as this is the best time of the year to enjoy this wonderful flavor I tweaked a sugar cookie recipe (modified from a recipe in Cooks Illustrated) to have a Maple flavor.

I made the batch above first, and topped each with a toasted pecan halve. I posted the pic above on IG and FB and had a lot of requests for the recipe but I had wanted to make them again...some chewy with slightly crispy edges and some for Shawn, who prefers them crispy. I also wanted to experiment with toasted, chopped walnuts. These can be made either way, chewy or crispy, but they aren't necessarily meant to be rolled out.

The results and reviews were great! Lots of ooohs and ahhhs and mmmm's and "these are freaking delicious" and comments like that from my husband, and the 4 of my six adult kids who were home or stopped by and sampled them. I sent a plate with Michael to a cook-out with friends and he said everyone loved them and asked for the recipe.

I don't really have a preference of nuts, I loved them both and I kind of like the look of them mixed together on the plate.

They are perfect with a cup of tea, coffee or a big glass of milk.

And so Fallish!

Nancy's Maple Cinnamon Sugar Cookies w/ Brown Butter Maple Glaze & Toasted Pecans or Walnuts

Cookies:

3 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 sticks or 1 1/2 cups butter (unsalted) at room temperature
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla
2 tsp maple extract

Cinnamon / Sugar for rolling:

Approximate amounts:
2 Tbsp Cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar

Roll into 1 1/2" inch balls and then roll to cover completely in cinnamon / sugar mixture. Space at least 2" apart on cookie sheet and mash gently with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly. They'll spread.

For chewier cookies, bake at 375 for 7-8 minutes and take them out just as soon as the edges begin to barely brown. If you like a little crispier edged cookie, bake for about 8-9 minutes and mostly crispy bake 9-10 minutes. Watch carefully and Do Not Overbake! They definitely aren't the best if they are crunchy and dry...although the maple glaze makes them taste good just about any way!

*NOTE: This is not a roll-out sugar cookie recipe. They're going to spread out as they bake. You could try to roll with the addition of at least 1/2 cup flour but as I haven't experimented with this yet, I'm not sure how it will turn out. If any of you all try it, please let me know if you're successful converting this to a roll out sugar cookie recipe. Wouldn't they be pretty cut out into the shapes of Maple leaves?

Brown Butter Maple Glaze

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tsp real maple syrup
2 tsp maple extract
2 cups powdered sugar
milk to thin

Combine the cream, syrup, extract and powder sugar and stir. Set aside. Cook butter in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat stirring gently. Let it come to a soft boil and then continue to stir constantly or swirl the butter around the pan so that it doesn't start to burn. You'll want to let the butter come to a light golden brown color and once it does remove from heat and add it to the powdered sugar mixture. You'll probably need to add a little more cream, milk or 1/2 and 1/2 to thin it out. I frosted some cookies, sprinkled some toasted walnuts on top and added a pinch of the cinnamon /sugar mixture that I rolled them in over the top. For some of the cookies I dipped a fork into the frosting and drizzled it back and forth over the cookies by allowing it to run off the tynes as I drizzled. I topped those with a pecan halve and then with a dusting of the cinnamon / sugar.

Toasted chopped walnuts or toasted pecans or pecan halves

Spread nuts on cookie sheet and bake at 350-375 for about 7-8 minutes and allow to cool.

*NOTE:
These are not sugar cookies for rolling out. They're going to spread out as they bake. You could try to roll with the addition of at least 1/2 cup flour but as I haven't experimented with this yet, I'm not sure. If any of you all try it, please let me know how it turns out. Wouldn't they be pretty cut out into the shapes of Maple leaves?