Maple Walnut Cookies # 2

These oatmeal cookies are loaded with maple flavor from two directions. Maple flavoring goes into the dough and into the frosting, so that warm, sweet maple taste hits you from the first bite through the last crumb.

Quick-cooking oats make up the bulk of the cookie, giving it a chewy, hearty texture. Light brown sugar and a touch of cinnamon build on the maple flavor with caramel warmth. Coarsely chopped walnuts add crunch and a slightly bitter, earthy note that grounds all that sweetness.

Mix the dough at low speed just until blended. Oat cookies toughen quickly if you overmix because the oats absorb moisture and the gluten in the flour overdevelops.

The frosting is a shortcut that works. Canned vanilla frosting stirred with maple flavoring to taste gives you a smooth, spreadable topping in seconds. Each cookie gets a swirl of frosting and a walnut half pressed on top.

Kitchen Tips

• Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before moving. They’re fragile straight from the oven and break if you lift them too soon.
• Use butter-flavored shortening, not regular. It adds a buttery richness without the extra moisture that real butter brings, which helps the cookies hold their shape.
• Drop by rounded tablespoons for uniform cookies. A cookie scoop makes this faster and more consistent.
• Frost after the cookies are completely cool. Warm cookies melt the frosting into a runny glaze.

Variations

• Pecan swap: Use chopped pecans instead of walnuts for a milder, sweeter nut flavor.
• Maple glaze drizzle: Skip the canned frosting and make a quick glaze with powdered sugar, milk, and maple flavoring for a thinner, more elegant finish.
• Add raisins: Fold in a handful of raisins with the walnuts for a classic oatmeal-raisin twist with maple.