Glaze: (v) overlay or cover (food, fabric, etc.) with a smooth, shiny coating or finish

A glaze is the perfect fall metaphor as autumn’s rich browns, reds and yellows overlay some 90 percent forested Maine, so we got to thinking, what other kinds of fall glazes can we find in everyday things?

Molasses Glaze Donut by Willow Bake Shoppe

“The molasses donut is one of our cult favorites,” said co-owner and ‘Donut Technician’ David Joseph. “From what I understand, we’re one of the few bakeries that makes them with real Crosby’s Molasses. The glaze itself is made from powdered sugar, corn syrup, molasses and almond extract. And the donut is a fry cake made with every spice we have in the building. I had a employee describe it in the best way: ‘If you ever wanted to know what Christmas in a bag tasted like, that’s the molasses donut.’ We used to have this one woman who’d call every day and want to know if still we had them. If we ran out, she was irate to say the least. It got to the point where when her number popped up on caller ID, the staff would look at the shelves and if our molasses donut wasn’t there, they’d let the call go to voicemail.”
willowbakeshoppe.com

Thumb Cup with Orange Glaze by Simon van der Ven

“That bright orange is new to my glaze palette,” said artist Simon van der Ven. “It’s a commercial pigment with my own glaze formula. Essentially, a glaze functions to seal the clay, but I chose to leave the exterior of the cup unglazed, and contrast it by making the inside bright and glossy. The thought of developing an orange glaze came to me as a way of supporting the Netherlands Women's national football team who were playing the the World Cup. However, the resulting color and the way it works with this form (and a few others), goes well beyond team spirit. It really sparked something in me. As a result, I'm making a series of these hand-formed, thumb cups  for which I plan to develop other glazes that can harmonize with the orange.” 
vandervenstudios.com

Grilled Maine Salmon with Maple Glaze and Sea Salt

Cookbook author Kathy Gunst traveled to Alaska and discovered how delicious fresh-caught Alaskan salmon can be. She initially developed her Salmon with Maple Glaze and Sea Salt recipe with the Alaskan fish.

“The salmon in Alaska is extraordinary, but I also think wild Maine salmon is just as good—it’s meaty and slightly sweet. The maple syrup brings out that sweetness and that sort of sticky, glaze gives it texture and gorgeous color.”

Her recipe can be found in her book. Simmer maple syrup down to a thick glaze and then brushed onto salmon filets. Use coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper and place the salmon under the broiler or on the grill. The salmon is basted twice with the reduced syrup. The result: moist salmon with a sweet and slightly salty glaze.

(Notes from a Maine Kitchen/Down East Books)