Vermont Maple Cookies

It's been ages since I've sat down to properly post. Once again, it's not for shortage of posting material. I'm settled in SFW and the girls have been here for a week. I've been meeting and getting to know them and helping them settle in. I love being here and I love what I'm doing. Thank G-d, I'm content and happy and in a much better place than I've been in the last couple of years. That's not to say that this experience won't be intense and overwhelming at times. In fact, today, my co-counselors and I attended a seminar that addressed depression and suicide and eating disorders. Now, I'm familiar with some of those things, but hearing about it at length made it scary. Annnnyway. So now that I have an oven, I have been baking alot. I baked a ton for our first in Shabbat. Everything I made got eaten and the catered stuff didnt. I got tons of compliments and now have a reputation here. My room didnt stop smelling like baked goods for days. In any case, seeing as how I love to feed people, the girls know that Ill always have baked goods for them. They keep telling me their parents will kill them for getting fat... So last night, I baked these Maple Cookies from the Cookie Companion for the girls to nibble on when they come in for curfew and just to chill. Let me just say the mapley scent that permeated the room and hall was worth it. They were all devoured within minutes. These were not only delicious but fast to whip up. I used my precious maple sugar, acquired on my last trip to New York. I figure what's it here for if not to be used? It just made these cookies shine. They were soft and and a bit cakey and a lot yummy. I omitted the glaze because I think that would have been over the top. Please get your hands on maple sugar and make these.

Vermont Maple Cookies

from the Cookie Companion

Dough:

1 cup margarine or butter, softened

1 cup pure maple sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp maple extract

2 3/4 cups flour

Topping:

2 tbsp maple sugar

2 tbsp granulated sugar

In a bowl, place the margarine and sugars and cream until combined. Add the cream of tartar, salt, eggs, baking soda and maple flavor.Mix to combine.Add the flour,

and mix to make a cohesive dough. Refrigerate the dough for half an hour.

While the dough is chilling, combine the sugars in a bowl and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop balls of dough and coat them with the maple sugar mixture. Place them on the sheet of parchment.

Bake the cookies until lightly golden about eight minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool before placing on a plate for your girls to devour.