Butter Pecan Cookies with Maple Frosting

There are a few flavors on this big blue marble I live on that delight
me beyond measure.

Mocha
Coconut
Caramel
Caramelized Onions
Milk Chocolate
and
Maple

I think my love for maple stems from the maple leaf cookies I adored as a child. The ones I loved came from Canada and had a creamy maple filling inside. Big maple leaf shaped cookies, that you could smell the minute you opened the package. I remember twisting them apart like an Oreo and eating the cookie first, then biting all the way around the frosting on the remaining cookie, so I could savor that maple filling to the end.

The maple frosting on these cookies reminds me of those creamy centers. I wanted to make a second batch and just sit with spoon in hand and stuff my face with it, but I didn't. I was tempted. Oh I was tempted.

Most of my favorite maple recipes use pure maple syrup. This one uses maple flavoring. I buy mine from Watkins. I think it has a great, pure flavor. I've tried other maple flavorings and they were either too sugary or to artifical tasting.

My husband John is a huge fan of butter pecan anything. I'm a huge fan of this frosting. For me that cookie was just a mere vessel to hold display the luscious frosting. Don't get me wrong, the cookie's were great, but oh that frosting. John loved them both.

Once in awhile I come across those cookies from Canada, and I still eat them the very same way.




Butter Pecan Cookies with Maple Frosting
Printable recipe
1 cup shortening
½ cup butter (1 stick), softened
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 package (10 to 12 ounces) vanilla or white chips
½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Frosting
¼ cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
3 to 5 tablespoons of milk

Pecan halves for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and maple flavoring. In a medium size bowl, whisk the flour and baking soda together. Gradually add it to the creamed mixture. Stir in the chips and pecans.

The batter will be soft. Drop my rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. (I used parchment). Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until just golden brown. Cook for 2 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting:
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, confectioners sugar, maple flavoring and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Frost each cookie with approximately 1 teaspoon of frosting and top with a pecan half.

These would be a perfect fall cookie for a Halloween celebration. I put mine in the fridge to stiffen up the frosting a bit and then stored them in an air tight container.