Maple Doodles: #CookiesForKidsCancer

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is an organization I have been supporting since I first became aware of it. You can read more about my discovering them and what they do here, but basically I became aware of them through OXO, as OXO is one of their big supporters and I work with OXO Blogger Outreach. Anyway, September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and so OXO gave some bloggers cookie and brownie kits to bake up some cookies to raise awareness for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. In the meantime, I became aware that Cookies for Kids’ Cancer had released another cookbook. I already own and love Cookies for Kids’ Cancer: Best Bake Sale Cookbook, so buying Cookies for Kids’ Cancer: All the Good Cookies was a no brainer.

OXO sent me their Bake A Difference brownie kit, I received specifically the black measuring cups, black measuring spoons and the brownie spatula. The cups are a unique surprise, one that I have not used yet but I am excited to try. They have a angled rim clearly based on their angled liquid measuring cup, which I love so much that I own multiple of them. The measuring spoons do not seem to be anything particularly special, just standard solid OXO craftsmanship. They also sent a silicone pastry brush that I am hoping to try using next week, so I will report on it then.

The brownie spatula is outstanding. We used it for Alex’s gingerbread, and it was perfect. The best thing about it? It works in a nonstick cake pan, which all of my other utensils will scratch. It also removes a perfect piece of cake (or brownie), as it is much smaller than most spatulas.

I did not end up using my brownie kit however, because I chose to make a cookie from All the Good Cookies. The minute I saw the Maple Doodles I knew I was making them. I loved the idea of a snickerdoodle fragrant and sweet with maple. My one complaint with All the Good Cookies is that it calls for ingredients I don’t use, like shortening and pancake syrup. However, I always sub lard for shortening (read my spiel here if you are a skeptic about lard) and I just subbed reduced maple syrup for the pancake syrup (if that is too pricey for you, you could also use golden syrup or agave with maple extract). I also guessed that the cookies would be really, really sweet, and so I added salt to the sugar they were rolled in.

The result was outstanding. Chewy, salty-sweet with a hint of cinnamon (I did not want the cinnamon to compete with the maple), I have not been able to keep out of these cookies. But take my advice and do not skip the salt in the rolling mixture. This is a great recipe to get kids involved in as well, rolling the cookie dough balls in the granulated maple sugar.

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Maple Doodles

Adapted from All the Good Cookies

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Cookies

Author: TheSpicedLife

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 1/2 cup (102 g) unprocessed lard
• 4 T (2 oz, 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 t vanilla
• 2 t natural maple extract
• 1 cup pure maple syrup, reduced to 1/2 cup by simmering
• 3 cups (378 g) AP flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 t fine sea salt

For the rolling sugar:

• 1/2 cup granulated maple sugar
• 1 t cassia cinnamon
• 1 t fine sea salt

Instructions

Notice this recipe requires an overnight chill.

1. The maple syrup will harden upon cooling, so you need to start reducing before, but not way in advance of, making the cookie dough.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and sea salt. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter and lard together in a mixer. Add the sugar in 2 additions, beating to incorporate, and then beat on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each. Beat in the vanilla and maple extracts.
5. Add half of the reduced maple syrup at a drizzle while the mixer is running on low. Mix in half of the flour mixture. Repeat. When the dough is completely mixed, it will be quite soft from the heat of the maple syrup, so you will need to transfer it to an airtight container and chill overnight.
6. The next day, when you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 F. Whisk together the granulated maple sugar, cinnamon and salt. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Then roll the ball in the sugar mixture before placing on a cookie sheet. I baked 12 to a sheet.
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the surface has puffed and appears cracked, and the edges are turning golden. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring the cookies to a cooling rack.

The fine print: OXO did send me these items for free, but did not compensate me in any other way. I paid for the cookbook myself. My opinions are my own; I only accept OXO tools because I really like their company. Affiliate links, as always, were used in this post.

For the collage lovers: