We Canadians may be known for our politeness and overly apologetic natures, but all of that’s about to change (err…sorry 😉 ) with these cookies. I’d happily knock over my own grandmother (à la George Costanza) for one of these morsels of creamy strawberry maple-y goodness. I mean, I’m a bit biased in that I super love all things strawberry and all things maple, so if your taste buds have been burnt off and you don’t feel the same way, then you may not like these as much as I do (and if that’s the case, you should really see a doctor because you clearly have either some sort of mental disorder, or physical disorder, either of which needs attention stat in my completely untrained medical opinion).
I tried to be super Canadiana in my photogs here (not a typo FYI – I’m trying to pretend I’m all young and hip and up on what the kids are saying these days (although I’m sure one thing they’re definitely not saying is “…what the kids are saying these days”, but I digress)) , but they all kind of turned out just so-so. This one below was supposed to be me creating a Canadian flag out of cookies. You would totally confuse this for the actual Canadian flag right? RIGHT????!!! 😉
Yes, I realize that these cookies could be mistaken for eyeballs (or for the dirtier minded among you, some other lady-like body parts), but don’t let that deter you from making them! They’re patriotic to the core, and they most definitely allow you to leave your mark (or your thumbprint) on any Canada Day gathering you go to. I may even go so far as to say that you might miss the actual fireworks because you’ll be instead enjoying the gustatory flavour sensations of fireworks on your tastebuds instead. That is totally more my kind of awe-inspiring show. It’s “sense”sational 😉 .
Sad and lonely, unfilled thumbprint cookies. They’re naked, but beautiful. Michaelangelo’s David’s got nothin’ on these 😉 .
My big Canada day plans were not too crazy, Kevin and I went up to our cottage which is just outside of the town of Sharbot Lake. Sharbot Lake has some entertaining (read: small town cheesy, yet charmingly enjoyable – yes, even I realize how condescending and hipstery that sounded. I’m what’s known the world over as an asshole clearly) July 1st festivities that are too hip to miss (case in point, they had a town crier and a gladiator jousting ring as well as the usual fireworks. They also always do a duct tape cardboard boat race, which every year we say we’re going to sign up for/ participate in, and then completely forget about it. It’s super fun to watch though. There’s just nothing quite like grown men and women frantically paddling their cardboard vessels with the valiant, yet doomed to failure, attempt at not sinking. All to win bragging rights while looking like drowned rats. What’s not to love? 😉 ).
So with all the fervour of a die-hard proud Canadian, I invite you to kick back, relax with your most local Canadian maple porter and possibly (aka definitely!) some strawberry maple cookies.
Happy Canada Day everyone!
Yield: 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (or maple sugar if you have it)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 1/2 cup vegan butter
- 4 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup dried strawberries (soaked overnight in butterscotch liqueur. If you’d rather not use alcohol, soak them in a 50/50 mix of maple syrup and water. Or just water if that’s what floats your boat)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cacao butter (the white stuff, I got my mine at the bulk store. It’s a bit expensive FYI (although you don’t need much), so you could omit this if you really wanted, but this is what gives these the “…and cream” designation since it adds a white chocolate flavour to the filling).
- 1/4 cup strawberry jam, divided
- 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
- 1/3 cup icing sugar
- 1/3 cup non-dairy milk powder (I used a mix of coconut milk powder, which is kind of expensive, and soy milk powder)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease, or line with silpat/ parchment paper a cookie tray.
- In a large bowl, beat together the brown sugar, salt, baking powder, vanilla and maple extracts and butter until fully combined. Stir in the maple syrup.
- Stir in the flour and rolled oats. Strain your strawberries and reserve the liquid (it’s delicious!) for possible future use. Set aside 12-15 of the strawberries and coarsely chop the rest. Mix the chopped strawberries into your cookie dough.
- If the dough is too firm, stir in a little of your reserved butterscotch liqueur liquid until your get a more cookie-dough like consistency.
- Using a cookies scoop (or approximately a tablespoon of dough), scoop dough onto cookie sheet and use your thumb to create a well in the centre of each cookie.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies just start to brown around the edges. Allow to cool completely.
- While cookies are cooling, make the filling.
- In the microwave (or on the stovetop), melt the cacao butter. Place melted cacao butter in a small bowl and stir in 3 tablespoons of strawberry jam, maple syrup and maple extract. Sift in the icing sugar and non-dairy milk powder. Refrigerate for 30 minutes (or until it’s slightly firmed up).
- Fill the well in each cookie with your strawberries and cream mixture. Add a very small dollop of strawberry jam to the centre of each cookie and half of one of your reserved butterscotch liqueur soaked strawberries.
- Store in the refrigerator.
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