I don’t know if it’s just me but I feel like this month has been going by so unbelievably slowly. It’s been August for a hot minute, and I would really like it to be September now. The past few days have been kind of crazy for me and I really just want the cool fall weather and all the cozy things. Everything’s still very disorganized and different, and I still need time to get used to it in order to feel comfortable.
After this recipe, I have two more coming this month and they’re heading towards the more Autumnal direction. They aren’t like full out pumpkin spice, but they’re definitely a little more on the cozy side. So stay tuned in the coming days!
Now, I know this recipe might spark a little controversy. I feel like people are either very for or very against the concept of maple bacon, no one is really in between. But if you’re a fan of the maple bacon donut, I think this recipe will work for you.
Also a quick side note. I was not expecting these cookies to need so much testing, but these took me 5 or 6 different versions before I landed on this one. The issue was that both bacon and maple tend to create a lot of moisture as they sit, so these cookies would always get very soft and cakey. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it just wasn’t what I wanted these cookies to be. But this final version creates a cookie with crisp edges and a gooey interior that doesn’t fall apart as it sits.
Describe These Cookies to Me
Taste: These cookies are very reminiscent of the classic maple bacon donut. They have a core flavor of maple, brown sugar, and a touch of cinnamon and vanilla. These warmer, sweet flavors blend perfectly with the saltiness of the bacon which creates a delicious and balanced cookie.
Texture: These cookies have a crisp exterior with golden brown edges and a gooey and soft interior. We have the maple cinnamon butter swirl to thank for that, and it makes these absolutely delicious. The creamy icing on top adds the perfect amount of levity to the whole cookie.
Ease: These cookies are of medium difficulty. They have a couple more steps than a chocolate chip cookie would because of the maple butter swirl and the icing on top. However, this dough is pretty straightforward, as is the maple butter. The icing might seem tricky because of the brown butter, but it really isn’t as difficult as it seems.
The Dough
The dough for these cookies is relatively straightforward. It starts off with butter and a mixture of brown and white sugar. Using both sugars gives these cookies the perfect texture. Next is the eggs and maple, which are what really hold the cookie together. Next is all the typical cookie dry ingredients like flour and baking powder, plus a handful of bacon to fold in. Once the dough is finished, we make a cinnamon maple butter in a different bowl using butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, and cinnamon. This gets mixed in in streaks in the dough. This cinnamon male butter adds more flavor to the cookies, but it also adds more butter and sugar which is what helps us avoid the previously mentioned cakey texture.
The Glaze
This glaze is very simple, but so important on these cookies. It starts off with browning salted butter on the stove. From here, we take those toasty flavors and stir in some maple syrup. Next is just a little bit of powdered sugar to pull it all together and a splash of vanilla for flavor. This glaze will set relatively hard because of the butter, and it makes for the perfect finishing touch on these cookies.
Maple Bacon Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium speed until creamy and slightly lightened in color, around 2 minutes. Add the egg, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until combined and fluffy. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat on low speed until just combined. Fold in the bacon pieces. The dough should be fluffy and a little sticky. Set aside
- In a small bowl using a spatula, mix together the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Once combined, add it in globs into the dough. Mix on medium speed for just 10 seconds or so to partly mix the maple butter into the dough.
- In a small bowl, toss together the cinnamon and sugar.
- Using a large cookie scoop or your hands, roll the dough into large balls. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar and place roughly 2 inches apart on the previously prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are brown and the center of the cookie looks set. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool while we make the glaze.
- Add the butter to a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to sizzle and foam, and eventually turns an amber brown color. Once browned, remove the pan from the heat and let the butter cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then, whisk in the maple syrup, followed by the confectioners sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt. Drizzle the mostly cooled cookies with the glaze and top with a few pieces of bacon! Cookies stay fresh sealed in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.