This is the time of year that is often called mud season – that time in late winter when the snow is melting (or has melted) and temperatures start the right around freezing in the morning then warm up throughout the day. The sun does occasionally come out, but often, there are days upon days of overcast skies and drizzle. The grass has not greened up much and mud is evident everywhere.
Sounds depressing, right?! But it is not all bad news. It is also the time of year when the shrubs and trees start to wake from their winter slumber and the sap starts to flow through the plants. This is also the time of year when the sap of maple trees is collected then boiled down to make maple syrup. That is certainly something to look forward to even when it is chilly and messy outside. And this year, the sugar shacks are up and running earlier than usual!
I look forward to maple sugaring season every year. And while we no longer live close enough to a sugar shack to get the first maple syrup of the season, I still celebrate this time of year with food featuring the sweet extract from maple trees.
Maple Cookies
Maple Cookies (adapted from allrecipes.com) Total Time Required: 40 minutes, Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time: 20 minutes, Yield: about 5 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup real maple syrup
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup white sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line two cookie sheets with Silpat mats or parchment paper.
Cream together the butter and brown sugar in the large bowl of an electric mixer.
Cream together the butter and brown sugar.
Mix in the maple syrup, egg, and vanilla until well blended.
Mix in the maple syrup, egg, and vanilla.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well blended.
Beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture.
Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Place the dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Shape the dough into 1-inch balls.
Flatten the balls slightly with the bottom of a glass dipped in the white sugar.
Slightly flatten the balls with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.
Sprinkle each cookie with some of the remaining sugar.
Sprinkle the cookies with the remaining sugar.
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven until golden, about 8 to 10 minutes, turning the cookie sheets once during baking. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks to cool for 2 minutes. Remove the cookies from the sheets to the wire racks to cool completely. Repeat to bake the remaining cookies.
Cool the cookies completely on a wire rack.
Store the cookies in an airtight container.
Sooo delicious!
Maple syrup makes Mud Season bearable! ~Linda
Maple Cookies (adapted from allrecipes.com) Total Time Required: 40 minutes, Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time: 20 minutes, Yield: about 5 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup real maple syrup
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup white sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line two cookie sheets with Silpat mats or parchment paper.
Cream together the butter and brown sugar in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Mix in the maple syrup, egg, and vanilla until well blended.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well blended.
Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Place the dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten the balls slightly with the bottom of a glass dipped in the white sugar. Sprinkle each cookie with some of the remaining sugar.
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven until golden, about 8 to 10 minutes, turning the cookie sheets once during baking. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks to cool for 2 minutes, then remove the cookies from the sheets to the wire racks to cool completely. Repeat to bake the remaining cookies. Store the cookies in an airtight container.