• ½ cup shortening
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup mild flavoured molasses
• ½ cup hot water
• ¼ cups packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• ¾ tsp. baking powder
• ¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• ¼ tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 recipe Maple Frosting

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease a 13×9x2 inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl beat shortening on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, the hot water, brown sugar, egg baking powder, cinnamon. Ginger, baking soda and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Stir in walnuts.

Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bale about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan in wire rack Spread Maple Frosting over cooled baked mixture. Cut into bars.

Maple Frosting

In a large mixing bowl beat 1/3 cup softened butter until fluffy. Slowly add 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in ¼ cup milk and ½ tsp. maple flavouring. Gradually beat in an additional 2 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar. Beat in a little additional milk if needed, to make a frosting of spreading consistency.

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp. ground allspice or ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• ¾ cup mincemeat
• ½ cup canned whole, peeled chestnuts, drained and chopped, or canned candied chestnuts, drained and chopped
• powdered sugar [optional]
• cut-up candied cherries and dried apricots [optional]

Preheat oven to 375ºF. For pastry, in a large mixing bowl beat butter and cream cheese on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Stir in flour and allspice. Divide dough in half. Using one half of the dough, press a rounded teaspoon of dough evenly into bottom and up the sides of 24 ungreased 1¾ inch muffin cups. Wrap remaining dough in plastic wrap; chill until needed.

For filling, in a bowl beat eggs, brown sugar, and maple syrup until combined. Stir in mincemeat and chopped chestnuts. Spoon about one heaping teaspoonful into each pastry-lined muffin cup. Cover remaining filling with plastic wrap; chill until needed.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until pastry is golden and filling puffs. Cool lightly in pan. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling.

If desired hold a fork over each cooled tart and sift powdered sugar through fork, making a stenciled design. If desired, top with pieces of candied cherry and dried apricot.

• 3½ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 cup chopped pitted dates
• Raw sugar

In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla until combined [mixture will appear curdled]. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour mixture, the pecans, and dates. Cover and chill dough about 2 hours or until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper; set aside. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in raw sugar to coat. Place balls 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake about 10 minutes or until edges are firm. Transfer to wire rack until cooled.