Introduction

These Shimmering Maple Crisp Cookies offer a delightful balance of buttery richness and sweet, caramelized maple flavor. With their delicate crunch and sparkling sugar crystals, they make an impressive treat for any occasion. Perfect for those who love a lightly crisp cookie with a deep maple essence.

Four square-shaped golden-brown cookies with a rough texture covered in large, sparkling sugar crystals are stacked neatly inside a white bowl with fluted edges. The cookies have a crunchy, sugary surface that catches the light, and they fill the bowl evenly, creating a cozy, inviting look. The bowl sits on a white marbled surface that adds a clean and fresh feel to the image. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup + 1 tablespoon whole milk
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1 teaspoon instant yeast
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 ½ cups coarse white sugar

Instructions

Step 1: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour, whole milk, maple flavoring, instant yeast, and salt to form the base of your dough.
Step 2: Cut the butter into 8 pieces. Add one piece at a time to the dough, mixing each piece in for 1 full minute before adding the next. The dough will progress from crumbly to wet and sticky, then to smooth and stretchy.
Step 3: Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to develop and the dough to firm up.
Step 4: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 275°F (135°C). Cut two sheets of parchment paper to fit your baking sheets.
Step 5: Place one sheet of parchment paper on the counter and sprinkle about ½ cup of the coarse sugar evenly over it.
Step 6: Divide the dough in half. Keep one half refrigerated until needed. Place the other half onto the sugar-coated parchment paper and sprinkle additional sugar on top.
Step 7: Roll the dough into a rough rectangle about 1/16 inch thick, adding more sugar to the top as you roll to coat the surface evenly. Gently lift the edges to sprinkle sugar beneath the dough, covering the entire bottom surface.
Step 8: Use a sharp knife or pizza wheel to cut the dough into diamond or square shapes between 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches. Smaller cookies tend to crisp up more evenly.
Step 9: Slide the parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the cookies reach a deep golden brown color. This ensures a crisp texture and rich caramelized sugar flavor. Avoid burning.
Step 10: Remove the cookies immediately from the baking sheet by sliding the parchment paper onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips & Variations

For extra maple flavor, drizzle a little pure maple syrup over the cookies just after baking.
Use a pizza wheel for cleaner, faster cutting of the thin dough shapes.
If you prefer a softer texture, shorten the baking time slightly and watch closely.
Swap whole milk for cream for a richer dough, but reduce the quantity slightly.

Storage

Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. They will maintain their crispness best in a dry environment; humidity may soften them but they will still remain delicious. If they lose some crunch, reheat briefly in a low oven to refresh.

How to Serve

A stack of five square-shaped sugar crackers is shown, each cracker layered on top of the other in a slightly uneven pile. The crackers have a golden brown color with a sprinkled layer of large, glistening sugar crystals covering the surface, giving them a sparkling texture. The edges of the crackers are slightly rough and crispy, and you can see the flaky, light-baked layers inside some of the crackers, adding depth to the stack. The stack sits on a white marbled surface, with extra sugar crystals scattered around the base. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast?

Yes, but you will need to proof active dry yeast in warm milk before adding it to the flour mixture. Instant yeast can be mixed directly with dry ingredients for convenience.

Why is the dough refrigerated overnight?

Refrigerating the dough allows the flavors to meld, the butter to firm up, and the yeast to gently develop, resulting in a better texture and deeper flavor in the finished cookies.

Shimmering Maple Crisp Cookies Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.7 from 92 reviews

Delight in Shimmering Maple Crisp Cookies, featuring a unique overnight refrigerated dough infused with maple flavoring and coated generously with coarse sugar for a perfectly caramelized crunch. These thin, crispy cookies bake low and slow to achieve a deep golden brown color and an irresistible texture, making them a standout treat perfect for sharing or savoring anytime.

Author: Marco
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 60-75 minutes
Total Time: Overnight refrigeration + 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: About 24–30 cookies 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

Dough Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup + 1 tablespoon whole milk
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1 teaspoon instant yeast
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

Coating

1 ½ cups coarse white sugar

Instructions

Prepare Dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour, milk, maple flavoring, yeast, and salt to begin the dough base.
Add Butter: Cut the unsalted butter into 8 pieces. Add one piece at a time to the dough, mixing each piece in for one full minute before adding the next. The dough will transition from crumbly to wet and sticky, then finally to smooth and stretchy.
Refrigerate Dough: Wrap the prepared dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to develop flavor and texture.
Preheat Oven and Prepare Parchment: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 275°F. Cut two sheets of parchment paper sized to your baking sheets.
Sugar Base for Rolling: Lay one parchment sheet on the counter and sprinkle about ½ cup of coarse sugar evenly over the surface.
Divide and Chill Dough: Divide the dough in half. Refrigerate one half for later use. Place the other half onto the sugar-coated parchment paper and sprinkle more sugar on top to cover the dough.
Roll the Dough: Roll out the dough into a rough rectangle about 1/16 inch thick. Continuously add sugar to the top while rolling so that the sugar crystals embed gently into the dough. Lift the edges occasionally to sprinkle sugar underneath and coat the bottom side evenly.
Cut Cookies: Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1 ½ to 2 ½ inch diamonds or squares. Smaller cookies yield a more even crunch.
Bake: Slide a baking sheet under the parchment paper loaded with cut dough. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until the cookies turn a deep golden brown but are not burnt. The deep color ensures crispness and caramelized sugar flavor.
Cool Cookies: Immediately transfer the baked cookies from the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool, preserving their crisp texture.
Store Properly: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container. They will maintain freshness and crispness for at least two weeks but may soften if exposed to humidity.

Notes

Refrigerating the dough overnight enhances flavor development and dough texture.
Coating the dough generously with coarse sugar on both sides is essential for the signature caramelized crispness.
Bake at a low temperature for a long time to prevent burning while achieving a deep golden color.
Smaller cookies tend to have a more uniform crunch and are easier to enjoy in bites.
Store cookies in airtight containers to maintain crispness and prevent humidity from softening them.

Keywords: Maple cookies, crisp cookies, caramelized sugar cookies, crunchy maple biscuits, overnight dough cookies