📜 History and Tradition

Maple cookies, often referred to as ‘Jumbles’ or simply ‘Soft Cookies,’ have a deep history, particularly in regions like New England and Canada where maple sugaring is a prominent industry. Maple syrup was historically one of the earliest available sweeteners after the harvest, making it a natural choice for holiday and winter baking traditions. These types of soft, cakey cookies became synonymous with festive gatherings, cherished for their tender texture which made them easy to ship and store.

🔬 Formation: The Science of Softness

The soft and fluffy texture of these cookies relies heavily on the specific balance of fats, sugars, and leavening agents:

• **Fats and Sugar Creaming:** The instruction to “Cream the butter and sugar together… until it is light and fluffy” is crucial. This step incorporates air into the fat, which acts as a physical leavening agent. This air expands in the oven, giving the cookie its cake-like, soft texture. [attachment_0](attachment)
• **Buttermilk:** Buttermilk (or its acidity) reacts with the **baking soda** to produce carbon dioxide gas, providing chemical lift and neutralizing the acid, ensuring a tender crumb. The recipe also uses **baking powder** for sustained lift and insurance.
• **Maple Extract:** The extract delivers intense maple flavor without altering the dough’s moisture content, which would happen if large amounts of maple syrup were used instead.
• **The Icing (Fudge-Style):** Melting the butter and brown sugar first, followed by milk and syrup, creates a base similar to a quick fudge. Adding the confectioner’s sugar once cooled sets the icing quickly into a thick, opaque coating that holds its shape.

🛒 Ingredients List

For the Soft Maple Cookies:

• $3$ large **eggs**
• $1$ cup **Butter**, softened (2 sticks)
• $2$ cups **Sugar**, granulated
• $1$ cup **Buttermilk** (or milk mixed with 1 tbsp vinegar/lemon juice)
• $1$ tsp **Maple Extract**
• $1$ tsp **Vanilla Extract**
• $1$ tsp **Baking Soda**
• $1/2$ tsp **Salt**
• $1$ tsp **Baking Powder**
• $4\ 1/2$ cups **All Purpose Flour**

For the Maple Brown Sugar Icing:

• $1/2$ cup **Butter**, unsalted
• $1/4$ cup **Milk**
• $1$ cup **Brown Sugar**
• $2$ tbsp **Maple Syrup** (pure preferred)
• $1$ pinch **Salt**
• $2$ cups **Confectioners Sugar**

🔥 Instructions and Methods

FIRST STEP: Mixing the Dough Base

1. 1. **Preheat & Prep:** Preheat the oven to $350^\circ \text{F}$ and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. 2. **Creaming:** Cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together in a large bowl (using an electric mixer) until the mixture is light and fluffy.
3. 3. **Wet Ingredients:** Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the buttermilk until just combined.
4. 4. **Flavor & Lift:** Combine the maple extract, vanilla extract, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix these well into the wet batter until thoroughly incorporated.

SECOND STEP: Baking the Cookies

5. 5. **Add Flour:** Slowly add in half of the flour, mixing well. Then, gradually add the remaining flour until a soft, consistent dough is formed. Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears.
6. 6. **Bake:** Drop cookie scoops of dough onto the prepared tray, leaving about 2 inches between scoops. Bake for **6 to 8 minutes**, just until the edges are slightly golden. **DO NOT OVERBAKE** to ensure maximum softness.
7. 7. **Cool:** Remove the tray from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

THIRD STEP: Making the Maple Icing

8. 8. **Create Base:** To make the icing, melt the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture begins to simmer.
9. 9. **Simmer:** Add in the milk, maple syrup, and salt and blend well. Bring the mixture just to a boil, then remove it from the heat.
10. 10. **Cool:** Let the mixture cool for 10 to 15 minutes before proceeding.
11. 11. **Thicken:** Gradually add in the confectioners sugar, beating well until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add a drop of milk at a time until you reach the desired spreadable consistency.

FOURTH STEP: Frosting and Storage

12. 12. **Frost Quickly:** Spread the icing over the cooled cookies quickly, as this type of icing will thicken and set rapidly as it cools.
13. 13. **Store:** Place the frosted cookies into an airtight container for storage until serving. They are wonderful served with a hot beverage.

⭐ Benefits and Conclusion

The Joy of Nostalgia:

Maple cookies are deeply linked to comfort food, often providing a unique sense of nostalgia during the colder months. The use of pure maple flavor offers a more complex and traditional sweetness compared to refined sugar alone.

Conclusion:

These Maple Cookies are the epitome of simple, heartwarming baking. The combination of a fluffy, tender cookie base and a rich, fudge-like maple icing makes them irresistible. We are certain you and your **lovers** (friends and family!) will make these a new tradition!