Maple-Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

I'm something of a cookie fiend, so I decided to whip up some round little delights for my guests. To be perfectly honest and as much as I love oatmeal cookies, the Maple-Walnut Oatmeal Cookies (page 430) sounded slightly boring as I was making them. But the heavenly aroma wafting from the oven piqued my interest. Then I pulled them out, waited a moment or two, and picked out the ugliest one (these were for company, after all).

It was love at first bite. Tender and chewy, perfectly sweet with that warm, maple flavor calling to mind snowy cabins and deep forests, log fireplaces and softly descending snowflakes. But unlike a Thomas Kinkade painting, these are deliciously authentic. The walnutty touch brings forth memories of childhood, if yours involved large amounts of walnuts, cooked, baked, and freestyle. Why, we'd climb the trees to get at 'em. We'd spread 'em outside to dry in the sun (or eat them green, infinitely better).

These are both decadent and homey, best still-warm straight out of the oven. Or on a plate next to a cool glass of some nut-milk for whoever shoves the presents under your tree or into your socks.

The cookies were gone a day before my guests were; I'll infer that means they enjoyed them. Of course, these little darlings, yummy as they were, rather paled in comparison to the other desserts I whipped up. Especially a certain Mediterranean one. (We didn't abandon that theme, no; stay tuned.)

P.S. Can you spot the hidden bat? It's always Halloween 'round here.

- - Ulpia, the other cookie monster - -