Maple Glazed Cranberry Walnut Cookie Bars

So much going on here: ingredients, flavor, glaze….you name it. These cookie bars are a fun take on the old Nestle classic.  I especially enjoy that the cranberries and walnuts make it easy to ignore that they are not exactly healthy. ( Some of you more clever individuals might not be so easily fooled)  I promise though, you will not be dissapointed with the flavor.  The maple glaze tops it for an addictive chocolate chip cookie without the chocolate chips.

Maple Glazed Cranberry Walnut Cookie Bars

Cookie Bar Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 cup Earth Balance margarine
• 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 3/4 cups regular sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tsp EnerG egg replacer frothed with 2 tbsp warm water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup walnuts

Cream Earth Balance margarine, and both sugars together in large mixing bowl.   Add baking soda, salt, vanilla extract.  Mix in prepared egg replacer.  Slowly incorporate flour until all has been used.  Fold in, by hand, cranberries and walnuts.

Spread into greased and floured baking pan (I used an 8″ x 8″).

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let cool on rack before making and applying glaze.

Glaze Ingredients:

• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 cup 100% pure maple syrup
• 1/8 -1/4 cup water (the glaze needs to be the consistency of thick paste before adding Earth Balance or corn syrup)
• 1  1/2 tbsp Earth Balance
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup

Mix confectioners sugar and maple syrup together, and mix in water until thick-ish.  Mix well until all lumps are removed.  Stir in Earth Balance and mix until well blended.  Finally, stir in corn syrup and mix well.  Apply immediately to bars (or within 5 or so minutes) and let glaze harden before serving.