Orange Maple Sugar Cookies - Maple Syrup Installment #2

If you've been to summer camp over the last few years, then you know we make cookies everyday for that evenings snack. Each year we change a few of the cookies that we offer. This year a cookie that will be added to our selection will be an Orange & Maple Sugar Cookie. The creation of this formula was purely accidental. I started with our sugar cookie recipe. We exchanged a small amount of the buttermilk for pure maple syrup. This cookie was simply divine. Very soft and chewy. However, in our effort to provide campers with more whole grain, we exchanged most of the white flour for whole wheat flour. We then added orange zest. After baking the cookies and allowing them to cool for 5 minutes we brush them lightly with maple syrup. With the whole wheat flour the maple can get lost. Adding this coating of maple syrup puts it over the top.

Orange & Maple Sugar Cookies

Butter                                                                           1 cup

Eggs                                                                                    2

Buttermilk                                                                 3/4 cup

Pure Maple Syrup                                                     1/4 cup

Baking Powder                                                             4 tsp

Baking Soda                                                                  1 tsp

Ganulated Sugar                                                          2 cups

Vanilla                                                                           1 tsp

Salt                                                                                1 tsp

All-purpose flour, unbleached                                    2 cups

Whole wheat flour                                               2 3/ 4 cups

Orange Zest                                                              1-2 tbsp

Maple Syrup                                                               3 Tbsp

1. Preheat oven to 350* F. Coat baking sheet w/ pan spray (lightly)
2. Cream butter - the butter must be creamed till very soft. This will allow it to incorporate better with the remaining ingredients.
3. Add the sugar. Cream together.
4. Add the eggs - one at a time.
5. Combine the buttermilk, vanilla and maple syrup, set aside.
6. Combine the remaining dry ingredients.
7. Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture into the creamed butter and sugar alternately (ending w/ milk).
8. Add the orange zest. Mix to combine.
9. Using a #30 scoop, scoop cookies onto baking sheet.
10. Bake for 8-9 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool for two minutes.
11. Warm remaining syrup. With a basting brush, coat each cookie w/ maple syrup.
12. Transfer to a cooling rack. Allow to cool or enjoy warm with a cold glass of milk.

Camp Cookie Facts

The cooks make approximately 15,750 cookies during the 7 week summer camp program each year.

In addition, over the course of a year, the cooks make about 30,000 cookies.

All of our cookies are made at camp. We do not purchase premade cookies.

In cookies alone we use about 1,100 lbs of flour per year.

In addition, we use about 150 dozen eggs for the cookies each year.

I hope you enjoy making this formula! It truly is yummy!

Maple Season 1st Installment!

This year the LEEP (Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program) staff started collecting sap quite early! Trees were tapped in January! It was the earliest we have ever tapped the trees. Of course, that is great, since the season may end early.  

We use the maple syrup in many ways here in the kitchen. The simplest and most desireable is warmed over fresh made pancakes or French toast.

This month I will be offering a few recipes out for how we use pure maple syrup. I have featured the pecan syrup before, but today I thought I would pass along a small family size recipe. However, if you make the larger, you can store it in the refrigerator for a up to two weeks or in the freezer for up to a month. Replacing the sugar with agave syrup has significantly improved the overall quality of this syrup. With sugar, you have to be concerned with it crystalizing in the refrigerator/freezer.

I also thought I would share our Blueberry Syrup recipe. This recipe tends to change some each time we use it, the outcome is based on what fruits we add to the syrup. It is very versatile. We have used left-over fruit salsa, fresh fruits like kiwi, strawberries, apples and oranges. Honestly, there is not much fruit we wouldn't consider putting in this syrup. Well, okay maybe bananas and grapes! You get the point.

Maple sugar season kicks off Spring. Using the Earth's bounty is great way to come out of the dull-drums of winter. This winter was not incredibly cold as the last few, the lack of green can bring the mood down. Think of the Maple season as the beginning of something great to come.

Today, I am adding a new feature to the blog. The recipes can be printed at my recipe page. As time goes on I will be adding other featured recipes to this page. Click on the Recipe titles below to access the full recipe. After you click on the links below scroll down the page. The recipe is lower on the page. I am working on fixing the error.

Pecan Syrup                                                   Blueberry Syrup

Enjoy!