Maple Walnut Cookie Bars Recipes

MAPLE WALNUT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease an 8 x 8 inch pan.
• In a medium bowl combine flour and baking soda. Mix well and set aside.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend brown sugar and 1/2 cup margarine to form a grainy paste. Scrape down sides of bowl, then add 1 cup syrup, egg and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until smooth.
• Add the flour mixture and walnuts and blend at low speed just until combined. Pour batter into baking pan and smooth top with a spatula. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan.
• To Make Maple Frosting: In a medium bowl, cream 1/2 cup margarine and cream cheese with an electric mixer at high speed. Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 3 tablespoons maple syrup, and beat until smooth. Slowly add confectioners sugar and reduce mixer speed to low. Once sugar is added mix until smooth. If frosting appears thin gradually add confectioners sugar until frosting thickens. Spread frosting on top of bars in pan and cut into squares.

MAPLE-WALNUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the maple syrup, egg, vanilla and maple extract. (The mixture may look curdled.) Reduce the mixer speed to medium low; add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Cover and refrigerate until the dough is no longer sticky, about 30 minutes (it will still be soft).
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Put the turbinado sugar in a shallow dish. Roll tablespoonfuls of the dough into 1-inch balls, then roll in the turbinado sugar. Press a walnut half into the center of each cookie and arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the edges of the cookies are set but the centers are still soft, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

MAPLE WALNUT BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 9-inch square pan with cooking spray.
• In medium bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter, the granulated sugar and egg yolk with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl occasionally. Add flour and salt; beat until moist clumps form. Press dough in bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes.
• In 2-quart saucepan, heat syrup, brown sugar, whipping cream and 3 tablespoons butter to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and walnuts. Pour hot filling over partially baked crust.
• Bake 15 minutes or until filling is bubbling in center. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Refrigerate 1 hour. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows.

MAPLE SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. For crust, combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Cut butter into slices, and cut in with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is crumbly. Press into bottom and half an inch up the sides of a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Cool on rack.
• For filling, combine all ingredients except pecans, and mix until smooth. Pour into cooled crust. Distribute nuts evenly over top. Bake 30 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool on a rack before cutting.

MAPLE WALNUT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• For the bottom layer, in a large bowl, combine cake mix, butter and egg.
• Stir until mixture forms a thick dough.
• Press evenly into the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
• Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden.
• Meanwhile, for the top layer, in a large bowl, combine syrup, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
• Beat with an electric mixer until well combined.
• Stir in walnuts.
• Pour over hot bottom layer; spread to cover the entire surface.
• Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until the top layer just starts to set.
• Cool completely in pan.
• Cut into bars.

MAPLE WALNUT SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Cut a piece of foil 8 by 16-inches. Butter the corners and sides of an 8-by-8-inch baking pan. Line the pan with the foil, leaving an overhang on two sides.
• Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and add the egg yolk, syrup, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds if using. Reduce the speed to low, add the flours and salt, all at once, and beat until just combined. Add the walnuts and continue to mix until fully combined.
• Using your hands, drop the dough in pieces evenly into the prepared pan. Flour your hands lightly and press the dough together and into the corners of the pan. Put a piece of waxed paper on top of the dough and use something square and heavy-another pan, a pound of cold butter-to press the dough into the pan and make a smooth, even top. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• When it is firm, use a fork to score the dough all over. Bake until deep golden brown and starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45 minutes. Cool completely on a rack, about 2 hours, then wrap with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature overnight.
• Place a lightweight cutting board or a baking rack over the top of the pan. Flip and set on the counter. Gently pull the pan from the foil and the foil from the pan to lift off the pan. Gently peel the foil off the bar. Place another lightweight cutting board on top, and flip the bar right-side-up.
• Using a sharp, serrated knife, slice the square in half. Then slice each half into 8 bars.

FROSTED MAPLE WALNUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Cookies:
• Cream butter and sugar. Add maple flavor and eggs.
• Add dry ingredients and mix.
• Stir in walnuts.
• Place tablespoon sized cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet, bake for about 10 minutes.
• Cool.
• Mix frosting ingredients, spread on cooled cookies.
• Note: If you make the frosting after all the cookies are baked and cooling. It times out just about right.

MAPLE-NUT-CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch square pan with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, mix cookie mix, 1/2 cup softened butter, the egg and 1/2 teaspoon maple extract with spoon until soft dough forms. Stir in 1/2 cup walnuts. Spread dough evenly in pan.
• Bake 20 to 24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• In medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, 1/4 cup softened butter, 2 tablespoons of the milk and 1/4 teaspoon maple extract with spoon until smooth and fluffy. If frosting is too stiff to spread, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. Frost top of bar. Sprinkle 1/4 cup walnuts on top. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows.
• Store loosely covered.

CHEWY MAPLE BARS

Steps:

• In a mixing bow, cream sugar and shortening. Add syrup and egg and beat well. Combine flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture. Add vanilla and mix well. Stir in oats and walnuts. Pour into a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Cut into squares while warm. Cool on a wire rack.