Fall in cookie form.
Happy Thursday, friends! Happy October! Holy shit, we’re in October already? Three months until Christmas, my birthday, and Miss Polly’s half gotcha-day. The holidays are running up fast, folks.
One fun part of this month is seeing the giant skeletons and spooky decorations set out by one of the restaurants I run past. Granted, it’s a little disorienting hearing the animated voices growling at 4am, but over the years I’ve kind of grown accustom to the muahaha-ing and enjoy peering at the weird structures when I trot by.
October also means cozy treats and these Chewy Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies certainly qualify. They’re a little smoky, plenty sweet, and ooey gooey with tons of melted chocolate speckled within and atop. Couple the maple-infused dough with crumbled bacon (tofu or regular, you always have the choice) and you get a surprisingly delightful flavor play that’ll urge your fingers to crawl to the plate for a second, third, fourth cookie.
Tried and true: these cookies are fabulous with Trader Joes’ cozy Harvest Tea, a cup of chai, or a steaming mug of coffee.
Maple, Eh
This cookie dough is based off brown sugar and maple syrup, which create an extra chewy texture. My kinda cookie.
Cream butter with said brown sugar and maple syrup until soft and fluffy, then whip in one egg, some vanilla, and maple extract. You don’t have to use the lattermost ingredient, but it does bring the maple more up front in your palate.
Stir in your flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and a touch of cinnamon. Fold in dark chocolate chips and crumbled bacon with a spatula, until well distributed.
Tip #1: I always use dark or semi-sweet chocolate, but milk chocolate is okay, too. It will create an even sweeter cookie so keep that in mind.
Tip #2: If you need to whip up some tofu or regular bacon, this process will add time to your overall prep. Directions for tofu bacon are in the recipe card. If using regular pork bacon, cook it according to your favorite method.
Roll your dough into heaping two tablespoon-sized balls and set onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Press a couple more chocolate chips/chunks (use chopped chocolate if you want those big puddles atop like mine) and bacon crumbles into the top of each cookie.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set up but the centers are still soft. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet to firm them up.
Tip: If you like a flatter, crinklier cookie, pull the baking sheet out of the oven at 7 minutes and slap it firmly against the counter. Return to the oven for the remaining baking time, then once the cookies are done, slam the baking sheet a couple more times against the counter. Might want to warn your spouse or housemates about the noise beforehand. Shouting “LOUD NOISE!” usually helps.
Leftovers? Highly doubt this will be a concern if you’re serving to others, but if you need to store them, place the cooled cookies in a sealed container or ziptop bag. Fridge for a week, freezer for 3 months.
What kind of maple syrup should I use? Pure maple syrup, not that Aunt Jemima shit.
Enjoy, friends!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Falling for cookies:
Giant Gooey Stuffed S’mores Cookies
Chewy Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Movie Night Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies
Egg Yolk Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
chewy maple bacon chocolate chip cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp maple extract (optional)
- 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips/chunks
- 1/2 cup crumbled cooked tofu or regular bacon (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- In a bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Whip in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and maple extract (if using). Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Fold in the chocolate chips and tofu bacon. Do not overmix.
- Scoop rounded two tablespoon-sized mounds of dough and roll into a ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about two inches of space between each. Press a couple chocolate chips and bacon crumbles atop each ball. Bake 10-12 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through baking time. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet.
- Enjoy a few warm (ooooh yeahhh) with a sprinkle of flaky salt, or cool completely, cover in a tupperware or ziptop bag, and store for later.
Notes
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Drain and press a block of extra firm tofu to remove excess water for about 5-10 minutes. I make a homemade press by placing paper towels on a large plate, then the tofu, then more towels, another plate, and a skillet.
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees and lightly grease a large baking sheet. Slice the tofu very thin (as thin as you can without breaking it) and place onto the baking sheet.
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In a small bowl, whisk 1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp chili powder, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Pour over the tofu and, using a basting brush, coat each slice. Flip, and brush the sauce over the opposite side. Let sit while the oven heats.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through baking time. Let cool on the baking sheet: the tofu will continue to crisp up.
