Vermont Maple White Chocolate Cookies
I never miss an Autumn in New England if I can help it. One year when we were on an October leaf-peeping trip to Vermont, we splurged on a maple themed lunch at a small café featuring a top-notch grilled cheese sandwich with smoky ham, apples, maple mustard, maple butternut squash soup and a fabulous white chocolate pecan maple cookie with a rich glaze. I had to come home and re-create that memorable cookie – and the rest of the meal too, but that is for another cookbook on another day.
Servings 24
Cost 5
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped pecans 109 grams, divided
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled 114 grams
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed 110 grams
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons maple extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 188 grams
- ¾ cup white chips (I used caramel flavored white chips) 126 grams
Maple Glaze
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 42 grams
- 1 cup powdered sugar 120 grams
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup Grade B if you can find it
- ½ teaspoon maple extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment papers.
- To toast the pecans, place on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pecans are fragrant and take on a deeper shade of brown.
- To prepare the cookies, in a large bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and maple extract. Sprinkle the salt, baking powder and baking soda over the dough and mix well. Gently stir in the flour, stir in ¾ cup of the pcans and the white chocolate chips.
- Shape the dough into ping-pong-sized balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for about 7 to 9 minutes or until just set on top. Immediately poke the remaining pecans into the tops of the cookies. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- To prepare the glaze, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and maple extract. Stir until a smooth glaze forms. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies. Let the glaze set before serving.
