Harvest Apple Cookies with Brown Butter Glaze

For the rum soaked raisins: Place the raisins in a small bowl, cover with enough hot water to cover them. Add the rum flavoring and one teaspoon of the vanilla. Let the raisins soak for about 3 hours or overnight. When ready to make the cookies, drain the raisins and set aside.

For the spiced dried apples: Preheat oven to 275F. Peel and core 4 medium sized apples. Slice them into circles about 1/4 inch thick, and place them in a small bowl with some lemon juice. Sprinkle the cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice over the apple slices. Stir and toss with a spoon to evenly coat. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet, and arrange the apple slices on the wire rack. Put in the oven and bake for about an hour, until the apples are dried but not crisp. Remove from oven and cut into small pieces. Set aside or store in an airtight container for later use.

For the cookies: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugars and cream everything together. Add the eggs and remaining teaspoon of vanilla, mixing well.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed sugar mixture, mixing until combined. Stir in the oats, apples, raisins and walnuts. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350F. Drop cookies by heaping tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for 2 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack.

In the meantime, make the glaze. Put the 4 Tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet, cook and stir over medium high heat until the butter begins to turn golden. It will begin to foam, then turn from pale yellow to golden, and small brown flecks will form in the bottom of the pan. As soon as you see the butter begin to form flecks, remove from heat. Add the powdered sugar to the brown butter, and whisk to incorporate. Add vanilla and enough water to make a drizzling consistency. Drizzle the brown butter glaze over the slightly warm cookies. Let cool. Serve and enjoy!

Note: The dried apples and raisins can be made the day before, to cut down on prep time.