Waffle Cookies with Maple Glaze -- A Sweet Send-Off to Sugaring Season

The maple season ended on Saturday with the last boil of the year. Final grade: three gallons of light amber, two gallons of medium amber, one gallon of dark robust — the progression of the season in a row of bottles on the pantry shelf. A good year. Better than last year in yield if not in the company around the boiler.

I cleaned the sugar house over two days, the spring cleaning that the season always ends with: scrubbing the tanks and lines, checking the equipment for what needs repair before next March, laying the drop cloths over the boiler. It has a particular finality to it, the closing of the sugar house. The work is done and now the work is different — now the work is the garden and the growing season and all of that.

The news from outside continues to improve. Vaccination rates are climbing. Vermont is doing well relative to the rest of the country. The conversation about what summer looks like — actual summer, summer with people moving around — has a different quality than it did in March of last year, which was all speculation and dread. Now it's more like planning. Sarah and Jim have both had their first shots. The boys are in a younger cohort but that's moving too.

I turned the garden beds this week, the first real digging of spring. The ground was cold but workable. The compost from the pile went in. I planted peas along the fence, which is the first planting of the year, always — those little seeds going into cold ground in early April with a faith that the season will catch up with them. It always does. That's the bet. I've been making it for thirty-seven years.

With six gallons of syrup lined up on the pantry shelf and the sugar house closed for another year, I wanted to do something that felt like a proper celebration — not a big production, but something that actually used what the season gave us. These waffle cookies with maple glaze are exactly that: simple, satisfying, and a good excuse to crack open a jar of that light amber before the season fades into memory. Same as planting the peas, it’s a small act of faith that good things are worth marking.

Waffle Cookies with Maple Glaze

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• For the Maple Glaze:
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1–2 tablespoons milk or cream, as needed
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the waffle iron. Heat a standard waffle iron to medium heat and lightly grease with non-stick spray or a small amount of butter.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
3. Add wet ingredients. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract until fully combined.
4. Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture and stir until a soft dough forms.
5. Cook the cookies. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the center of the waffle iron, close the lid, and cook for 2–3 minutes until golden and set. Work in batches. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Make the maple glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon of milk until smooth. Add additional milk a teaspoon at a time to reach a pourable but thick consistency.
7. Glaze and serve. Drizzle or spoon the maple glaze over the cooled waffle cookies. Allow the glaze to set for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 118 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 19g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 45mg