Maple Snickerdoodles

I tend to scroll through all the pictures on Tastespotting 3 or 4 times a week looking for inspiration in my baking. Some days I will only look at one or two links from the pictures and won't copy any recipes into my gmail documents folder where I store my online discoveries. Other days I will copy dozens of recipes for some vague future use, but then won't actually get around to making one of the recipes for months or even years.

Then there is the occasional recipe like this one. A recipe that looks so good, and so easy and just different enough for me to slap myself in the forehead and say "why didn't I think of that?" as I rush for the mixer and the butter and sugar. As far as I know everybody likes snickerdoodles. They are just plain good in a homey, simple sort of way with the delicate butter and sugar flavors and the wonderful cinnamon sugar topping.

These take that concept and tweak it just a bit. In this version the cinnamon is added to the cookie dough along with a little bit of maple syrup and maple extract, and then the cookie dough is rolled into a mixture of white sugar and maple sugar. The results aren't quite as good as normal snickerdoodle (which are pretty near perfect as far as I'm concerned), but they are quite good and a nice change of pace. They have the snickerdoodle texture -- soft and cracky -- combined with a light maple flavor with hints of cinnamon.

For anyone looking for a quick and easy recipe that is a nice twist on a classic -- this is a great recipe. Especially if you have maple sugar and maple extract hanging around waiting to be used up. :)



Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 maple syrup
1/4 tsp maple extract
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup maple sugar

Directions:
1. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a bowl.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in another bowl.
3. Beat the egg and maple syrup into the butter and sugar.
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet.
5. Mix the white sugar and maple sugar in a small bowl.
6. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and roll the balls in the sugar mixture.
7. Place the balls on a baking sheet.
8. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until golden brown and cracked on top, about 8-10 minutes.