Maple-Pecan Leaf Cookies-My Own Winning Recipe! - KitchenLane (2024)

I didn’t recognize the caller’s number, but several months ago something just made me pick up the phone. “Are you the Nancy Baggett that does the cookie recipes?” a cheerful voice on the other end inquired. When I answered that I probably was who she wanted, she sounded excited and said, “Oh good, I found you!” She immediately explained that several years before she had entered a maple sugar cookie recipe of mine in the state fair. And it had won a blue ribbon!

“I’m calling you now because I’m trying to think how to change the recipe so it’s different enough enter again this year,” she confided. She mentioned she had tried adding spices, but wasn’t thrilled. I suppose that some might have discouraged her at this point or thought her approach seemed like cheating. But I didn’t feel that way.

Truthfully, recipe developers fiddle with favorite recipes and use them as starting points for new ones all the time. Especially with baked goods, once the critical ratio of fat, sugar, flour, and leavening is determined, it may make sense to leave them as is. The task then becomes how to alter the taste, texture, and appearance to create something truly new. I told her that if I were going to come up with a different entry, I’d begin by adding in finely chopped pecans. “People often pair maple with walnuts in dishes. But the sweet nuttiness of pecans goes better with maple.” I said. She thanked me for the suggestion, and we hung up.

Afterwards, I mentioned the phone call to some professional bakers and cookbook author colleagues. One person wondered whether it was really fair for contestants to submit previously published recipes in a competition or get guidance from an expert. But everybody else thought that this was fine. As one friend pointed out, most fairs only specify that recipes must be madeby, not created by, the entrant. Contests are usually about how well entrants make their recipes; they aren’t expected to be recipe developers. Most of us also thought that seeking advice from a professional just showed enterprise and a desire to learn. (Perhaps this is because cookbook authors are often also culinary teachers and very willing to share their expertise.)

About a month ago, the same woman called back. She proudly told me that her maple-pecan cookie had won 1st prize! I was happy to hear this, partly because it clearly meant a lot to her, partly because my advice had been sound. Since I don’t know any details about what she came up with or even what recipe of mine she’d originally used, I decided to take a maple recipe from my 2001 work, The All-American Cookie Book, and create a new cookie myself. Except for the added pecans, the dough here is similar to my earlier version, but the maple icing is brand new. I can’t brag about any awards, but I do consider this recipe a success. The pecans and maple are indeed luscious together, and the drizzled-on icing lends a finishing touch of sweetness and incredible fresh maple fragrance that makes my mouth water.

I’m taking these cookies to a family Thanksgiving dinner. I think their autumn leaves shape and the showcasing of two indigenous American ingredients, maple and pecans, perfectly fits the traditional holiday theme. I’ll let those who sample decide if my Maple-Pecan Leaf Cookies deserve a blue ribbon, but I like them a lot!

If you’d like to try this recipe (and I hope you will!) you’ll need pure maple syrup, preferably the darker, more flavorful amber grade for the icing, and pure maple sugar for the cookies. Some health food stores carry granulated maple sugar in their “sugar alternatives” sections. It can also be readily purchased online. Be sure the maple sugar product you buy contains only dehydrated maple syrup andno artificial maple flavorings. The chemical-laden artificial maple flavorings taste and smell so off, maples trees probably want to drop their leaves in shame. As you can see, I’ve gone the quick route and simply drizzled the icing back and forth on the cookies. If you have a little time and a knack for decorating, you could strategically pipe on lines of icing to suggest leaf veins for a nod to realism.