Chocolate Frosted Maple Cookies

Okay, I obviously lean toward chocolate and desserts on this blog; this post adds another in that column. Maybe I should have called it Domestic Family Desserts!

This is a recipe I came across in a brochure called 'Pure Facts'. The recipe wasn't even named and it made an extremely small batch. So I've tweaked and doubled to come up with a recipe that produces more and lets us eat a little longer on the sweet treats.

Chocolate Frosted Maple Cookies
Yield: 2 dozen 2.5-3" cookies

Ingredients for cookie batter:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. maple extract
4 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Ingredients for chocolate frosting:
1/2 cup chocolate chips, semi-sweet
6 Tbls. milk
2 Tbls. butter
2 cups powdered sugar

Cookie Directions:
1. Combine brown sugar and softened butter in a mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy.
2. Add vanilla extract, maple extract, and eggs. Beat well.
3. Add flour, baking soda, and salt; mix well.
4. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour to make it easier to handle. (I've skipped this step quite often ... impatient, I guess ... but no ill effects)
5. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Drop by cookie scoop (we prefer the large cookie scoop - 2 Tbls. size) onto the cookie sheet. Press lightly. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until slightly browned at the edges. *NOTE: if you decrease the cookie size, you'll need to decrease the baking time.
7. Immediately remove the cookies and allow them to cool on a rack.

Frosting Directions:
1. Place chocolate chips, milk and butter in a small saucepan and melt chips over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar. Add more if needed for spreading consistency.
2. Frost the cooled cookies**. Allow frosting to set before storing them. The cookies do freeze well.

** A quick way to frost is to hold the cookie upside down and dip it in the frosting. There is plenty of frosting for 2 dozen large cookies when frosting in this manner.

Sour Cream Sourdough Coffee Cake

Coffee Cake Ingredients:
1/2 cup King Arthur sourdough starter (I'm sure any sourdough starter will work)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2/3 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt

Cinnamon Filling:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions:
1. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and sourdough starter. Beat until smooth, then stir in sour cream.
2. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla. Mix until blended.
3. Grease and flour a tube pan or bundt pan (I used cooking spray with flour).
4. Spread half the batter in the pan. Spread the filling over the top, then top with remaining batter.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

This is one of the lightest coffee cakes I have ever made. I'm going to try it out in a 13"x9" pan with the filling sprinkled over the top. If it works, I'll make it for our upcoming homeschool book sale's breakfast menu.

I've always wondered, do coffee cakes count for breakfast or dessert ... maybe it just depends upon when you eat it!