Soft and Chewy Maple Cookies

I seem to be hitting a wall as far as time and the ability to get all of the ideas up on the blog. I am cooking, taking pictures and editing, and then when it comes to writing…the day is done and this momma is tired.

Soft Maple Cookie

However, this is fair time, and in my area there is one REALLY BIG fair, which encompasses the best of the New England States. Oh yes, its a Big deal.

Like any fair goers, we have our stand-by-go-to things to do and food to eat, I am a huge fan of the baby pigs that run around, reminiscent of my now seventeen year old’s laugh when he was little. Something about piglets running around a pen had him  laughing with that big belly chuckle.

Soft Maple Cookie Dough

Or the baby chicks hatching, which reminds me of the time my dad lifted me up so I could see, and I literally felt like I was invincible.

The food, which always welcomes a new cast of characters each year, such as the one pound meatball, the crazy burger, fried cannoli, you get the picture.

Scoops of Soft Maple Cookie – Pre Drop to Get Crinkle

But one thing that stands out for me is Maple. Maple cotton candy, maple fudge, maple lemonade slushes… whether you embrace it or not, maple is a present contender in a fair that boasts the best of New England products.

Enter, the soft maple cookie. Now, this isn’t something you can get at the fair, but if you are looking for a melt in your mouth maple cookie, you have found your recipe.

I first saw this recipe several years ago online at www.averiecooks.com. Ever see a recipe online and think, yes! I need to make you NOW! I had that sort of reaction.

Cooling Soft Maple Cookies

I have a few cookies that I consider the perfect New England cookie. Soon, I will post a cranberry orange shortbread that will rock your cranberry world. But today, we focus on this New England Cookie.

Another great thing about this recipe is the batter/dough keeps in the refrigerator for a few days, so especially when in September the heat rises to 90+ degrees, you don’t have to turn on your oven. You can pre scoop the dough and refrigerate, or scoop the dough after it has chilled.

These are baked at a 325* oven, as all of my cookies are. I would rather low and slow and not crispy bottoms. I also think lower temp baking results in a softer, chewier, cookie. That, is a beautiful thing.

Lastly, when you take these cookies out of the oven, they will look slightly underdone. Cooked, but not dry, if you know what I mean. This is a good thing. The most fun is the end part, where you smack the bottom of the cookie sheet on the stove top or counter, to slightly flatten the cookies. Back in the day when I worked at a restaurant that made the famous Otis Spunkmeyer cookies, this was a trick of the trade, to drop the cookie sheets to make the cookies have that flattened, somewhat cracked open look.

Soft Maple Cookie

I don’t do that with many cookies, but with these, they look just right.

Now, when photographing these cookies, I did think, “wow, you don’t visually pack a punch.” Sorry cookies, but you don’t have the same glory as the melted caramel of the Browned Butter Sea Salt Caramel Cookies, or the Peaks of Dad’s Macaroons, or even the frosted glory of the Cream Cheese Frosted Carrot Cake Cookies. You are just kinda…well, simple.

Soft Maple Cookie

However, I dare you to pop one of these babies into your mouth and think, “meh.” So soft, chewy, maple-y and just enough sweet without making you think, “TOO MUCH!” It’s like a soft sugar cookie and fresh maple syrup had a baby. Only this baby doesn’t actually HAVE maple syrup in it. Find yourself some Maple Extract and make yourself some of these cookies. Even if you have your air conditioner on in September in New England, you will be lost in a chewy Maple Wonder.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

Click below for a printable recipe.