Spiced Maple Cookies  YIELD: 36 two-inch cookies

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all self-raising flour (all purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground mixed spice
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vanilla sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 Tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt and spices; set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and maple syrup beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed.
4. Divide dough into two balls and flatten each ball into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove dough from refrigerator onto a lightly floured surface.
6. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies, placing on prepared baking sheet.
7. Bake cookies in preheated oven 8-10 minutes, or until edges just start to brown.
8. Cool, the cookies on the baking sheets about 3 minutes; using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. If you wish you can make a maple leaf cut-out to give yourself the same finish as I have. Just place the cut-out onto the cookies then dust with icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar).

Lemon Roasted Pears
4 slightly ripe pears
50 grams unsalted butter
1 large lemon
4 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp vanilla sugar
2 Tbsp Vodka

1. Cut the pears lengthwise with a sharp knife splitting the stork as well. Use a melon baller to just remove the pips.
2. Use a sharp peeler to peel the lemon and then squeeze and reserve the juice.  Now cut the the strips of lemon peel into very thin strips (julienne).
3. Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F) gas mark 5.
4. Heat a large nonstick (oven proof) frying pan on a high heat and then melt 25grams of butter in it.
5. Allow the butter to brown slightly and then add the pear halves cut side down and the sugar and turn the heat down slightly. Turn the pears a couple of times to see you are achieving a nice brown colour.
6. Transfer the frying pan to your oven and cook for about 5 minutes until the pears are tender but not too soft.
7. Remove from the oven and tranfer the pears to a warm shallow bowl.
8. Return the frying to the stove and add the Vodka, lemon juice, lemon julienne, 25grams of butter and maple syrup. Bring to the boil to marry all the flavours and thicken without browning any further.
9. Pour the sauce over the pears and serve.

Click this link to go to the Pecan Ice Cream recipe that goes so wonderfully with the cookies and the pears