Use walnuts, if you can't find shagbark hickory nuts in your woods. Makes approximately 2 dozen.
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter
1 beaten egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup shagbark hickory nuts (or as many as you have managed to shell!)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease two cookie sheets, or line with a Silpat (silicone sheet) or parchment.
Cream together until light: brown sugar, shortening, and butter.
Beat in the egg and vanilla.
Sift the flour, soda, and salt together and stir in.
Fold in the hickories.
Drop on greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375F for 12-15 minutes.
Let stand a few minutes before placing on racks to cool.
When cooled, frost with maple cream. If you don’t have maple cream, mix together:
1 cup sifted confectioners sugar
2-4 Tbsp cream –- adjust amount to desired consistency
2-3 Tbsp Grade B maple syrup (otherwise, make sure you use real maple syrup -– adjust amount to taste)
Note: If you don't want to use shortening, you may substitute all butter; however it doesn’t fully support the hickory taste and cookies will be flat.