maple bourbon glazed white chocolate chip cookies
Rolling in with a non-pumpkin, but still very autumnal, treat to enjoy on this fine Hump Day.
The other day I enjoyed my first pumpkin latte of the “season.” Quotes because it ain’t even fall yet and it sure doesn’t feel like it in any case. We ventured out to one of our local shops and, three locations later, finally landed a seat outside with our drinks, watching rain drip then pummel down in five minute increments. Very peaceful, it was. I love rainy day coffees more than almost anything, especially when shared with one I love.
What may have improved the scene even more is one of these cookies. I wouldn’t use the term to die for because that’s fucking extreme, you drama queens. They are certainly worth procrastinating life for, though, so throw aside that work task that isn’t due until Friday anyway and switch on that oven for a batch of maple-y excellence. That’s the spirit.
Bonus points if it’s pouring outside. Nothing like a warm cookie on a dreary day to brighten up the ole spirits. Especially when there’s bourbon involved.
How Utter, Brown Butter
I have no idea. Don’t ask. Just walk away slowly.
A big flavor punch in the nose within these cookies is brown butter. I found 10 tablespoons a perfect balance of nuttiness against the sweet maple and cinnamon infusions. Melt down the butter until it turns golden, which only takes a few minutes. If you’re milling around, just pay attention to your ears: when the butter is browned, the sizzling noise stops, so you know it’s ready to move off the heat.
I give the butter a few minutes to cool its jets in a heatproof bowl, then transfer it to the freezer for a bit. You don’t need the butter to harden, just to quit being so piping hot.
The rest of the cookie batter is pretty effortless. Maple syrup is the only real difference here between this batch and, say, the base dough of the Blackberry Lavender Chocolate Chip Cookies. Otherwise, we’ve got brown sugar, regular butter, egg, and vanilla for the wet ingredients, and flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt for the dry. If the dough seems wet, add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of flour. I did not have this issue, but depending on where you are and what kind of mood your dough is in, you may need a bit more.
Gently fold in the white chocolate chips, roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls, and set onto parchment lined baking sheets. I love the pan-banging method for any cookie, so I bake the cookies for a bit before removing the sheets from the oven and slapping them firmly against the counter. This lends a nice flat center and crinkly edges. Yum. Return the cookies to the oven for a bit to firm up the perimeters.
21+ Cookies
The cookie glaze does not require the bourbon if you want to feed these to a younger crowd, so don’t sweat it you want to share them with the little ‘uns. If you don’t, though, a splash really ups the ante on the glossy adornment.
Once the cookies are cooled, it’s glaze time, suckers. Powdered sugar, maple syrup, bourbon, vanilla, and a bit of milk or water if it seems too thick. I only needed a tablespoon to get the right texture. You don’t want the glaze to melt into the cookies, but sit on top almost like a frosting. I’d liken it to the texture on the Frosted Maple Waffle Pop Tarts.
Slather that shit all over the cookies, and dive into one big sweet mouthful of bliss straightaway. Storing leftovers is pretty seamless. I like to freeze mine for emergency sweet tooths (I love frozen cookies…Who else?), or you can toss them in an airtight container on the counter or the fridge for a few days. The glaze might absorb into the cookies a bit, so be mindful of that.
If you plan to bake the cookies ahead of time, you can definitely do so, just save the icing for when you’re about to serve to preserve the integrity of all the swizzles you make. No one wants to ruin the integrity of a swizzle, right?
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Get your cookie fix here:
“Screwball” Chocolate Chunk Cookies
maple bourbon glazed white chocolate chip cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
maple bourbon glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1-2 tbsp bourbon, or to taste
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- milk or water, to thin, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- In a small saucepot, melt 10 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat until browned, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl or jar and set in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Beat together the remaining butter, the browned butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup until fluffy. Whip in the egg until incorporated, then the vanilla. Add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Do not overmix. Do not collect $200.
- Roll 1 tablespoon-sized balls of dough into a ball and set onto the baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven and firmly tap against the counter to flatten the centers. Return to the oven for 2-4 minutes longer until the edges are just set. Let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- When the cookies are cooled, make the glaze. Whisk together all the ingredients, adding 1-2 tablespoons of milk or water as needed if the glaze is too thick. You do not want it to be too runny, but to slowly drip off the whisk when it's lifted from the bowl.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cookies. Eat straightaway, or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature, a week in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer.
