AUNTIE'S PERSIMMON COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat® nonstick baking mat.
• Mash persimmon pulp in a small bowl and stir in baking soda to let mixture congeal.
• Beat white sugar and 1/2 cup butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Stir flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt together in a second bowl.
• Mix egg into the persimmon mixture. Add persimmon mixture and flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture and stir well to combine. Fold pecans and raisins into the batter.
• Drop batter onto the prepared baking sheet using a medium cookie scoop.
• Bake in the preheated oven until slightly browned and puffy, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire racks, about 30 minutes.
• Mix confectioners' sugar, maple syrup, 1 tablespoon melted butter, vanilla extract, and salt in a bowl until maple glaze is smooth. Place a sheet of parchment paper under the wire rack to catch the drips. Drizzle maple glaze onto the cookie tops using a spoon. Let set until glaze hardens, about 30 minutes.
• Cut green belt candy into small leaf shapes using kitchen scissors. Combine white chocolate and shortening in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl and melt in the microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring after each melting, 1 to 3 minutes.
• Drip some melted white chocolate over each cookie using a spoon. Place one red candy-coated chocolate piece in the middle of each cookie and add a green belt leaf to each side. Let set until frosting hardens, about 30 minutes.