Preheat oven to 350F, do not grease your baking sheet.
In a stand mixer or mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugars.
Add eggs, one at at time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
Combine the remaining ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture.
Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto un-greased baking sheets. Flatten lightly with a fork.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. After cooling on the pan for a couple of minutes, move to wire rack to cool completely.
Let the cookies cool completely before you dip them, otherwise they may break in the process.
Whisk the maple syrup into the sugar until it forms a glaze. Add enough syrup so that the glaze doesn't leave a trail when you lift the spoon and drizzle it down onto itself. Add the maple extract, if using. I like to transfer the glaze to a wide shallow bowl to make the cookie dipping easier.
Dip each cookie straight down (head first) into the glaze and then lift straight up, letting some of the excess drip off. Turn the cookie upright and set on a rack to dry. Do a test cookie or two ~ if the glaze seems too thick, thin with a little water. If it's too thin, whisk in more sugar. You want the crackles to show through on the top of the cookie as it dries.
Let the glaze set up before serving or storing.
Notes
The exact cooking time will vary according to your oven, the size of your cookies, and even the type of pan you use. Be aware that they don't get real brown, and will look soft and even slightly underdone, but will firm up as they cool. I ALWAYS do a test cookie or two in case my oven needs adjusting.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, use freshly grated nutmeg, it makes such a difference!
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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