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Christmas cookie recipes and other holiday treats

Ready to roll up your sleeves and get baking this December? Stir It Up! has a list of Christmas cookies recipes, plus some bonus holiday treats sure to get your kitchen in the holly jolly spirit.

Salted maple thumbprint cookies

In Praise Of Leftovers
Salted maple thumbprint cookies.

  • By Laura Edwins Contributor

By Sarah Murphy-Kangas, In Praise Of Leftovers
Chilling the dough is recommended. It’s quite soft and you might have trouble with the cookies spreading if you don’t.

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 cup pure maple syrup

2 large egg yolks

12-ounces walnut halves

Fleur de sel or other coarse salt, for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and kosher salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add 1/2 cup of the maple syrup and the egg yolks, and beat until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Chill dough for 30-60 minutes.

2. Using a tablespoon, drop dough, 3 inches apart, onto two baking sheets. Using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each round of dough – as deep as you can go without pushing through. Bake until the edges are just golden, 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool.

3. While the cookies are cooking, prepare the maple glaze. Place the remaining 1/2 cup maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer the syrup until reduced to abut 1/3 cup, 7-10 minutes. Carefully spoon the glaze into the thumbprint of each cooled cookie, then place a walnut and a sprinkle of salt on top. Allow the glaze the set, at least 10 minutes, before serving.

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Mark Sappenfield
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