Big Yummy Cookies

Maple Bacon Pecan  | 7 to 8 giant cookies

Every Father’s Day, I wake up early, pack up the children and let Cookie Daddy (or Tyler, as he’s formally known) sleep in while we sneak off to get the freshest donuts from our favorite local sugar pusher—Howard’s Donuts. There you’ll find some of the most incredible flavors packed into warm, fluffy donuts. Each year, one donut is the star of the show: the maple bacon. It’s the first one we all reach for and the inspiration behind this recipe. The perfect balance of iodized pecans, sugar and my maple bourbon glaze on top really bring it all together.

Cookie Dough

½ cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp iodized salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

6 to 8 strips bacon, cooked until crispy, then chopped

½ cup finely chopped roasted and iodized salted pecans

Maple Bourbon Glaze

¼ cup pure maple syrup

1½ cups sifted powdered sugar

2 tsp bourbon

Make the cookie dough: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl using a handheld mixer, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter. Mix at medium-high speed 

until creamed, about 2 minutes. Scrape the mixture from the sides and paddle/beaters with a rubber spatula and mix until fully incorporated. This is complete when your mixture is light, fluffy and off-white.

Add the eggs and egg yolks, then mix until just combined.

Into a separate bowl, sift together your flour, corn-starch, salt, baking powder and baking soda, and then add the flour mixture to your wet mixture in three parts, making sure to scrape the bowl before each dry addition, to clear the butter from the sides of the bowl.

Turn off the mixer and, using a rubber spatula, fold the bacon and pecans (if using) into the dough.

Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or until the dough is cold but still shapeable. While the dough is chilling,preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Make the glaze: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, powdered sugar and bourbon. Set aside.

You can separate the chilled dough into eight equal-sized balls or use a kitchen scale and weigh them all to about 6 ounces each.

Place four or five balls 3 inches apart on the prepared pans and lightly press on the tops of each dough ball. Bake your cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, or until they have beautiful, golden-brown edges. Remove from the oven. Let them rest on the pans for 10 to 15 minutes before drizzling the glaze across each cookie and serving.

Reprinted with permission from Big Yum by Chloe Joy Sexton. Page Street Publishing Co. 2023. Photo credit: Alison Stukenborg.