Hey, Calvin!

Since you have nothing better to do than read little kids' books, why don't you help me make some cookies?
He did, and they are so good! They are still warm and we are enjoying them while listening to Rick Springfield sing about Jesse's Girl. I guess that song qualifies as an Oldie now. My bored sis sent me a text one day (which means she was sitting outside a preschool waiting for a little boy) asking me if I wanted to go see Rick Springfield at a roller rink or some such institution near her home. But back to the cookies...

These cookies are just perfect. They seem underdone, too soft, when they come out of the oven, but they firm up just enough on the pan. They are chewy and delicious. And vegan. All the young'uns love them. The adults too. If the other employees at my husband's meeting this afternoon don't like them, then they just don't know what's good!

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Maple Walnut Cookies

from Vegan with a Vengeance (and, yes, I do have permission to post recipes)

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1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 T molasses

1 t vanilla extract

2 t maple extract

3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup)

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1/4 cup rice or soy milk (I used vanilla rice and omitted the vanilla extract.)

2 T tapioca starch or arrowroot or cornstarch (I used arrowroot.)

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1 1/2 cups flour (I used 1 cup all-purpose and 1/2 cup wheat.)

3/4 t salt (I used less.)

1 t baking soda

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1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

3 dozen walnut halves to press into the cookies before baking (I left these out.)

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Preheat to 35o degrees.

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Combine oil, syrup, molasses, extracts, and sugar; stir until well combined.

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Add milk and starch; stir until starch is dissolved.

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Add flour, salt, baking soda; mix until well combined; fold in chopped walnuts.

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Drop by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet, 12 per sheet (lined with parchment or greased).

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Bake 8-10 minutes; remove from oven and let cookies sit on baking sheets for two minutes before removing to cooling rack.