Rustic Maple Pecan Cookies

Total Time: 59 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 14 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned in and leveled
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 teaspoon imitation maple extract
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup superfine sugar
• 1/2 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped toasted pecans

Recipe

• 1 position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat oven to 350°; moderately butter cookie sheets.
• 2 in a 3-quart saucepan, melt the butter and set aside to cool to tepid.
• 3 strain together the flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
• 4 using a wooden spoon, add the maple syrup to the butter, mixing well.
• 5 blend in the egg, orange juice, and maple and vanilla extracts.
• 6 whisk in the sugars, stirring until well combined and free of lumps.
• 7 stir in the dry ingredients in three additions, then fold in the nuts with a large rubber spatula.
• 8 using the tip of a teaspoon, drop mounds of dough the size of large walnuts the cookie sheets, placing them 2 inches apart.
• 9 bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges just begin to brown, rotating the pans top to bottom and front to back toward the end of the baking time.
• 10 remove from oven and let stand for 2-3 minutes before loosening with a thin metal spatula; cool on wire racks.
• 11 store in airtight containers, layered between strips of wax paper, for up to 3 weeks; cookies may be frozen.
• 12 *rustic maple pecan date cookies--reduced chopped pecans to 3/4 cup; measure 1 cup loosely packed dates cut into 1/4 inch dice and toss them into 1 teaspoon flour to prevent them from sticking together; mix dates with the pecans and proceed as directed.