Sunday, July 6, 2025

Maple Pecan Snickerdoodles

Maple Pecan Snickerdoodles


Sally's Baking addiction photo!





















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  • ]Prep Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling)
  • Cook Time: 13 minutes
  •  
  • Total Time: 2 hours, 50 minutes
  • Yield: 32-36 cookies
  • These maple pecan snickerdoodles are soft and chewy with irresistible maple and cinnamon flavors. Set aside at least 2 hours to chill the cookie dough before rolling and baking. See recipe notes for additional information about some key ingredients.

    Ingredients

    • 2 and 1/2 cups (313gall-purpose flour 
    • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar*
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170gunsalted buttersoftened to room temperature
    • 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
    • 1/2 cup (100ggranulated sugar
    • 1 large egg, at room temperature
    • 1/4 cup (60ml) pure maple syrup*
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons maple extract*
    • 1 cup (130g) chopped pecans (plus pecan halves for topping)*

    Topping

    • 1/3 cup (70ggranulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • optional for topping: 32-36 pecan halves

    Instructions

    1. Cookies: Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
    2. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat on high until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the maple syrup, vanilla extract, and maple extract until combined.
    3. Pour the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and then beat on low until combined. Beat in the chopped pecans. Dough will be thick and soft.
    4. Cover and chill the dough for 2 hours in the refrigerator (and up to 3-4 days). If chilling for longer than a few hours, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking because the dough will be quite hard.
    5. Topping: Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside.
    6. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
    7. Roll cookie dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie.  Roll each ball generously into cinnamon sugar topping and place 2-3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Gently press a pecan half into the tops of each dough ball. (Not too hard or the pecan may break.)
    8. Bake for 13-14 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. The centers will look very soft.
    9. Remove from the oven. If your warm cookies look puffy, lightly bang the pan on the counter when you remove it from the oven. That will help slightly deflate the cookies. Cool cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
    10. Cover and store leftover cookies at room temperature for up to 1 week.

    Notes

    1. Make Ahead Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Allow to come to room temperature then continue with step 5. Make sure that you let it come to room temperature before rolling the dough, coating in topping, and baking the cookies. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls. Roll the dough into balls then freeze the balls for up to 2-3 months. You can freeze the cookie dough balls with the cinnamon sugar topping or without, but I recommend freezing without the topping. When you are ready to bake, remove the balls from the freezer, let sit for 30 minutes, preheat the oven, and then roll into topping. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
    2. Maple Syrup: Avoid “breakfast syrup” which doesn’t have the same robust maple flavor that pure syrup contains.
    3. Maple Extract: Pure maple syrup isn’t enough to guarantee mega maple flavor. Without the crutch of maple extract, the cookies lack flavor. I use McCormick maple extract. You can find it in the baking aisle.

    Snickerdoodles-No Creme of Tarter

    For the Snickerdoodle Topping

    ·        ¼ cup (1.75 ounces or 50 grams) granulated sugar

    ·       2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

    For the Snickerdoodle Dough

    ·         cups (10.5 ounces or 298 grams) all-purpose flour

    ·        1 teaspoon baking powder

    ·        1 teaspoon kosher salt

    ·        1 cup (8 ounces or 227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

    ·        1 ½ cups (10.5 ounces or 298 grams) granulated sugar

    ·        1 large egg, at room temperature

    ·        2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

    • Prep the oven and pans. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper.
    • Make the snickerdoodle topping. Whisk together ¼ cup (1.75 ounces or 50 grams) granulated sugar and the ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
    • Make the snickerdoodle cookie dough. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter. Beat on medium-high speed until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce the mixer to low and add the egg and vanilla and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, and beat on low for an additional 30 seconds.
    • Assemble the cookies. Use a 3-Tablespoon cookie dough scoop to portion the cookie dough into balls. Roll each in the snickerdoodle topping, covering them completely. Place the coated cookies at least 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans.
    • Bake the cookies. Bake one pan at a time for 12 minutes, or until the edges have set but the centers are still gooey. The cookies will look puffed when you pull them out of the oven, but will fall and crack into the perfect cookies as they cool. Cool the cookies on the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, or until the edges and bottoms of the cookies have set and feel firm to the touch. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.

    DOUBLE BATCH DIRECTIONS

    For the Snickerdoodle Topping

    ·        1/2  cup (1.75 ounces or 50 grams) granulated sugar

    ·       4 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

    For the Snickerdoodle Dough

    ·        4 2/3 cups (10.5 ounces or 298 grams) all-purpose flour

    ·        2 teaspoon baking powder

    ·        2 teaspoon kosher salt

    ·        2 cup (8 ounces or 227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

    ·        3 cups (10.5 ounces or 298 grams) granulated sugar

    ·        2 large egg, at room temperature

    ·        4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

    • Prep the oven and pans. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper.
    • Make the snickerdoodle topping. Whisk together ¼ cup (1.75 ounces or 50 grams) granulated sugar and the ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
    • Make the snickerdoodle cookie dough. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter. Beat on medium-high speed until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce the mixer to low and add the egg and vanilla and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, and beat on low for an additional 30 seconds.
    • Assemble the cookies. Use a 3-Tablespoon cookie dough scoop to portion the cookie dough into balls. Roll each in the snickerdoodle topping, covering them completely. Place the coated cookies at least 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans.
    • Bake the cookies. Bake one pan at a time for 12 minutes, or until the edges have set but the centers are still gooey. The cookies will look puffed when you pull them out of the oven, but will fall and crack into the perfect cookies as they cool. Cool the cookies on the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, or until the edges and bottoms of the cookies have set and feel firm to the touch. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.



    Monday, April 7, 2025

    Sourdough Discard Brown Bread Recipe (Restaurant bread)


    Soft, hearty and full of that sweet molasses flavor, this brown bread is made with whole grains and sourdough discard. This tried and true family favorite is even better than anything you can buy at the grocery store or get from a popular restaurant.
    Prep Time20minutes 
    Cook Time40minutes 
    Rise Time2hours  30minutes 
    Total Time3hours  30minutes 
    Author: Amy Coyne

    Ingredients

    • 450 grams water, warmed 
    • 80 grams molasses-- about 1/4 cup
    • 175 grams honey-- about 1/2 cup
    • 9 grams instant yeast-- about 1 Tablespoon
    • 200 grams sourdough discard 
    • 30 grams cocoa powder --about 5 Tablespoons
    • 14 grams salt -- about 2 teaspoons
    • 460 grams whole wheat flour  
    • 550 grams bread flour

    Instructions

    • Mix: To the bowl of a stand mixer add the warm water, molasses, honey and instant yeast. Look for the yeast to give off a “yeasty” smell telling you that it is active and ready. See recipe notes for using dry active yeast.
      Add the sourdough discard, cocoa powder, salt, whole wheat flour and bread flour. I like to reserve a little of the flour (a little less than a cup) and add it in as needed. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until cohesive and strong. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl or gather all together as it kneads. It will feel tacky to the touch, but should not be overly sticky. If it is very sticky, add a little bit more flour 10-20 grams at a time until it feels tacky and workable. This dough can also be kneaded about 10-20 minutes by hand.
    • Bulk Rise: Transfer the dough to a large container and cover with a plastic shower cap or kitchen towel. Let rise for about an hour or two until doubled in size. The warmer you keep the dough, the faster the dough will rise.
    • Separate: Once the dough has doubled in size and is light and airy, dump the dough on the countertop and separate into two equal portions. 
    • Shape: Pat one of the portions out into a rectangle. Starting at the edge closest to you, roll up the dough. Take care to press in the dough at the seam after each roll and pinch the seam closed at the end. Pinch and round the ends of the dough just a bit to get a uniform loaf. Place in a greased 8.5-by-4.5 loaf pan and cover (I use a plastic shower cap or plastic wrap). Repeat with remaining portion of dough. You can watch a shaping video here.
    • Rise: Let the bread rise in the pan until the dough has risen over the edge of the loaf pan. Press in gently on the dough with a finger. If the dough springs back immediately, it needs a little more time to rise. If it leaves a little indentation and springs back just a little bit, it is ready to bake.
      Note: Keeping the dough at a warm temperature will encourage this bread to rise more quickly. Do not bake the bread until it has at least doubled in size.
    • Bake: Pre-heat oven to 350ºF. Bake loaves of bread for 40-45 minutes until the loaf is baked through and the internal temperature is about 200ºF. Spread melted butter on the tops of the loaves if desired. Let bread cool completely before slicing for sandwiches. Enjoy!

    Notes

    Sourdough Discard: I use 100% hydration sourdough discard in discard recipes. You can use fresh, bubbly sourdough starter or discard that’s been in your refrigerator for a week. The older the discard, the more sour your bread will taste.
     
    Bread Flour: I use 12.5% unbleached bread flour from my local mill. If you use a flour with a lower protein content, you will need to add more flour to the recipe. If you use a bread flour with a higher protein content you’ll want to use a little less flour.
     
    Dry Active Yeast: This recipe calls for instant yeast which doesn’t need to be activated. If you choose to use dry active yeast instead, you will need to activate it before adding it to the recipe. Use the same amount of yeast and activate it in some of the warm water with a little bit of the honey called for in the recipe. Once active, add to the recipe.