Reader Donna Green sent us the following recipe via e-mail. She writes, "My fiance is very fond of maple-flavored things, so I've come up with a maple version of an old classic cookie. I thought you might like the recipe. They're a variation of Snickerdoodles, so I call them Mapledoodles."

Dough
1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter OR a combination of half butter and half vegetable shortening
1 cup (5 1/4 ounces) pure maple sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 3/4 cups (11 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Topping
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) pure maple sugar
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounces) granulated sugar

Maple Glaze (optional)
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) glazing or confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons (1 3/8 ounces) maple syrup
2 to 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 to 2 ounces) heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon maple flavoring

Dough: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugars, cream of tartar, and salt until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping between additions. Beat in the maple flavoring. In a separate bowl, whisk together the baking soda, and flour. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until blended. Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes, to stiffen it and make it easier to shape.

Topping: Combine the sugars in a small bowl or in a large plastic bag. Drop the dough by the rounded tablespoonful into the sugar, gently shake the pan (or bag) to coat the balls, then roll them in your hands till they're smooth and round.

Place the cookies on parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake them in a preheated 400°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they're a very light, golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and after 5 minutes transfer them to a rack to cool. Yield: about 3 dozen 3-inch cookies.

To make the glaze: Mix together the glaze ingredients to make a spreadable frosting. Smooth a thin layer over the cookies, or drizzle for a nice-looking effect. Let the glaze dry for several hours before packing the cookies in airtight containers. Store for 1 week, or freeze for a longer period.

Nutrition information per serving (1 unglazed cookie, 25g): 104 cal, 5g fat, 1g protein, 6g complex carbohydrates, 7g sugar, 25mg cholesterol, 138mg sodium, 26mg potassium, 53RE vitamin A, 1mg iron, 21mg calcium, 19mg phosphorus.

Nutrition information per serving (1 glazed cookie, 31g): 126 cal, 6g fat, 1g protein, 6g complex carbohydrates, 12g sugar, 25mg cholesterol, 138mg sodium, 29mg potassium, 54RE vitamin A, 1mg iron, 22mg calcium, 10mg phosphorus.

This recipe reprinted from The Baking Sheet Newsletter, Vol. XII, No. 3, Early Spring 2001 issue.