Maple Date & Pecan Thumbprint Cookies

A healthyer version, has this uses maple syrup instead of brown sugar. You add a bit of driseled frosting to sweeten it up ever so slightly. See some preping photos at the end of this recipe.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of butter

1 1/2 cups of maple syrup

3 eggs

4 ½ cups of flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp of maple extract

Filling:

2 cups of dates

1 cup of water

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of chopped pecans

½ cup of flour butter (mix ¼ cup of flour & ¼ cup of butter)

Glaze:

2 cups of icing sugar

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp water

2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Mix butter & maple syrup together.

Mix in eggs, vanilla, maple extract, flour, baking soda.

For the filling, cook all the ingredients together until well blended.  Let it cool completely.

As the filling cools, form dough into small balls, and make a thumbprint depression. Place some of the cooled filling in the depression.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until slightly brown.

Once the cookies have completed cooled, pipe icing through an icing bag with a very small tip.

Simmering the date / nut mixture.

Ready to put in the oven.