Maple Walnut Spice Cookies

Many flavors evoke the sense of the arrival of fall, but Maple is the flavor that most does it for me. At this time of year, I long to visit a region where maple is abundant... where maple farmers are tapping maple trees for sap in order to make fresh maple syrup. Instead, I must settle for my mail order maple sugar, Trader's Joe's highest grade maple syrup and the occasional home-baked maple treat. My first of the season: Maple- Walnut Spice Cookies.

I thought these soft, little cookies were spicy and flavorful enough to eat on their own, but a thin layer of glaze drizzled on top adds even more maple flavor and acts as a sweet addition.

The glaze spreads on fairly thin, and some even drips over the sides a bit, but it dries up quickly and sets enough that you could store them in between layers of waxed paper if you wished. Just place paper towels or waxed paper underneath a rack and drizzle the glaze without worry of messing up your table or counter. Simply throw away the mess when you're finished glazing.

A sprinkle of walnuts, lightly toasted of course, are an appropriate way to top this cookie. If you don't care for walnuts, pecans would be a nice replacement. And if you're not into nuts at all, the maple glaze is delicious enough to hold its own without a topping.

Use pure maple syrup if you can find it. Though expensive, it really makes a difference flavor-wise. Look for Grade B syrup (a darker variety with a more robust flavor) to use for cooking and baking.

*An added bonus- these cookies are only 82 calories. So plan to eat a few... practically guilt free!

Now that fall has arrived here in the U.S., I'll continue to hunt for more recipes that utilize the best of the fall flavors... pumpkin, cranberry, pecan, apple, pear and of course my favorite... maple.

This recipe can be found HERE.