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4.93 from 13 votes

Pecan Maple Cookies with Maple Glaze

These Maple Cookies are studded with pecans and topped with an irresistible maple glaze! The cookies are unique because they are more like a scone than a traditional cookie, plus they have raw sugar in them for even more texture. It's the perfect cookie to satisfy all your fall baking needs!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
Total Time28 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 208kcal
Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

For the cookies

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup raw sugar *sometimes called turbinado or demerara sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter cold (half stick)
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream more if necessary
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup**
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans toasted (plus more for garnish)

For the glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cream or milk or more to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread 1/2 cup pecans evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, until the pecans are toasty and fragrant. Chop them into small pieces if they are not already chopped. Set aside to cool. Leave the oven on at 350.
  • In a large bowl, add 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/3 cup raw sugar. Whisk to combine.
  • Cut 1/4 cup cold butter into the flour mixture. You can do this with a pastry cutter (my preferred method) or using a fork. You can also use a cheese grater to grate the butter, then mix it together with a fork. However you do it, just make sure you are cutting the dough and not mixing it. You want to have individual pieces of flour-coated butter, with chunks up to the size of a pea. See photo.
  • In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Add this mixture to the bowl with the flour and use a fork to combine. It should be a loose, dry dough. (If the dough is really not coming together at all, add more cream but carefully; only 1 teaspoon at a time.
  • Gently fold in the toasted pecans.
  • Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
  • Use a 2 inch cookie scoop to portion 12 to 18 balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Or use a spoon or your hands to shape the dough, make sure they are all about the same size. If the dough is crumbly, press it together with your hands. If you like your cookies to be "cookie shape" flatten the tops a little with your palm (the cookies will barely spread at all, you can fit them all on one pan.)
  • Sprinkle the top of each cookie with a little more raw sugar.
  • At this point if you have time, chill the pan of shaped cookies for 10 minutes or so. Just like scones, it's best if these cookies go in the oven cold. 
  • Bake at 350 for about 17-20 minutes. They are done when the bottoms of the cookies have lightly browned (use a spatula to lift one and check) Do not let the tops of the cookies get browned.
  • Let the cookies set up on the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Make the glaze: Sift 1 cup of powdered sugar into a small bowl. (If you don't sift, you may end up with lumpy glaze) Add 3 tablespoons maple syrup, 3/4 teaspoons vanilla, and 1 teaspoon cream or milk. Whisk it all together until smooth. If you would like a thinner consistency, add more cream or milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. 
  • Drizzle each cookie with about a teaspoon of glaze. Top immediately with a few chopped pecans, if you want. 
  • Let the glaze set on the cookies and serve right away! These cookies are best on day 1, but are also good on day 2 if they are kept tightly sealed on the counter. 

Notes

*Raw sugar is a lot chunkier than regular sugar. Replacing this with white sugar will change the texture of the cookies. 
** I used the cheapo regular kind of maple syrup, but you can use the Grade A real deal stuff too! Either way is delicious!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 224IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg