Maple Pecan Cookies

Hello again!

It’s guest blogger Ashley, you know the one who brought you the homemade BBQ sauce. I’m back with what will soon be your favorite fall cookie! If you ask any of my friends, the first thing they will tell you is how much I love the fall. It’s my absolute favorite season, and I don’t waste any time celebrating (seriously, my fall decorations went up September 4!). I found the recipe for these maple pecan cookies on Pinterest via a post on askchefs.net, but changed it up a bit. My recipe is below.

A few words on the ingredients before we begin. First, you need to have real maple syrup, not the imitation stuff from “auntie”. Just look at the ingredients on the side. The real stuff will say 100% pure and probably have grade A or dark amber on the front . The others will have anything from corn syrup to “flavorings”. The grocery store should have the real stuff, but it will be a little bit more (and well worth it).

The other real ingredient you’ll want to spend extra on is vanilla extract. The imitation stuff is made from wood pulp- yuck. Costco has a big bottle for a great price. Well worth it because vanilla is a cook’s best friend, and you’ll use it over and over again.

Lastly, let’s talk wheat germ. I love it! It’s super healthy with protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, but has a smooth consistency and blends nicely into baked goods. I put it in my chocolate cookies and decided to try it here. You probably wouldn’t even know it was there if I didn’t tell you, but I think it adds a nice subtle earthy flavor that goes well with the maple syrup. You can also use it in breads, muffins, granola, cereal, yogurt… Here’s what else you’ll need.

[recipe]

Maple Peacan Cookies

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup wheat germ
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• Extra sugar for decoration (optional)

1. Cream the butter and brown sugar for at least 2 minutes until smooth. (By really beating these ingredients together, you allow the sugar to “punch” holes into the butter, which adds air and makes for a fluffier cookie).
2. Add the egg and combine.
3. Mix in the maple syrup and vanilla until combined.
4. Mix in the wheat germ and make sure everything is well mixed.
5. Slowly add in all but 1/2 cup of the flour. (Many recipes tell you to sift the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. I don’t like to wash dishes, so here is my shortcut: Use your measuring cup to “sift” the flour in the container but picking up a cup full and shaking it back in the container a few times. This will add air to the flour.)
6. Mix the baking soda and salt in the last 1/2 cup of flour before adding. (This will evenly distribute the baking soda and salt throughout the batter. Do not put these two in without first mixing it with flour! Another baker’s secret: do not overmix the dry ingredients! Flour has gluten, which when overworked makes for one tough cookie.)
7. Once the flour has been incorporated enough (no big clumps or streaks), cover the dough and chill for a few hours. The dough is extremely sticky, that’s okay, it has maple syrup in it!
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
9. Once you can handle the dough, roll into balls. You can roll these in sugar if you want.
10. Place on cookie sheets and flatten slightly with your palm. Add some chopped nuts to the top.
11. Leave space between the cookies because they will spread slightly when baked. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the maple pecan cookies are golden brown and delicious. Enjoy!

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