Description
These cookies are tender in the middle, chewy where it counts, and packed with maple and cinnamon — finished with a glossy white-chocolate half-dip and festive sprinkles. Easy to pull together, no stand mixer required, and perfect for holiday cookie tins
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup maple syrup (use real maple for best flavor)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon maple extract
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For decorating
- White chocolate melting wafers (or white chocolate chips/wafers suitable for melting)
- Holly-berry or red/green sprinkles
Instructions
1. Make the dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, light brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, maple extract, and the egg. Stir until everything is smooth and well incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon so the dry ingredients are evenly distributed.
Pour the dry mix into the wet mixture and fold until a cohesive dough forms. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes — this firms it up and helps the cookies keep their shape while baking.
2. Shape and bake
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or use a nonstick tray.
Scoop portions of dough — about 3 tablespoons each (or weigh to 1.5 oz per ball for perfectly even cookies). Roll into balls and place on the prepared sheet, leaving room for a little spread. Lightly press each ball with your palm or the bottom of a glass to flatten slightly.
Bake for 12–14 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the tops are puffed and cracked. Remove when centers still look slightly puffy; the cookies will finish setting as they cool. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before moving them.
Decorating (white chocolate dip + drizzle)
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Melt the white chocolate wafers in a microwave-safe bowl on half power, stirring frequently to avoid overheating.
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Once the cookies are fully cooled, dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate and set them on parchment to firm up.
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When the dipped portion has hardened, spoon or pipe extra melted chocolate into a small bag (or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped) and drizzle over the dipped area.
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Before the drizzle sets, press a few holly-berry sprinkles onto the warm chocolate so they stick. Let everything finish setting at room temp or briefly chill to speed up firming.
Notes
- Quick tips & notes
- Use pure maple syrup — it makes a noticeable difference in depth and authenticity of maple flavor.
- Weigh if you can. For consistent cookies, portion dough to 1.5 oz each.
- Don’t overbake. Pull the trays when edges are set and centers remain slightly puffy; they’ll firm up as they cool.
- Use light-colored baking sheets or parchment to prevent the bottoms from browning too fast.
- If you want taller, thicker cookies, chill the dough longer (an hour or overnight works well).
- Storage & make-ahead
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days (place parchment between layers).
- If cookies are chocolate-dipped, keep them cool to prevent sweating — a single layer in the fridge works for short storage.
- Freeze shaped dough balls on a tray, then transfer to a bag; bake from frozen (add 1–2 minutes to bake time).