Maple Leaf Cookies

Here's a recipe for extremely delicious maple cookies that are very easy to make. Of course, they're perfect served in the fall, but honestly, you can't go wrong serving them any time of year.  If you love pure maple syrup, you must try these cookies.  You won't believe how good they are. 

Roll cookies to 1/4-inch thickness.  I like to use rolling guides to ensure all my cookies are the same thickness.  

I also like to roll my cookie dough between two layers of wax paper.  This eliminates the need to dust extra flour all over the counter and cookie dough.  It's a much less messy operation and the dough scraps can easily be rerolled. 

The cookie dough for this recipe is frozen for 15 minutes before cutting (don’t freeze longer or the dough will get too hard).  You can make any shape cutout, but I love this maple leaf cutter.  Press the cutter into the dough, then push the plunger to leave an impression of the design.  Work quickly because the dough will soften in a short time.

I love the way these look.  

Transfer the frozen cutouts to two silpat-lined half sheet pans.  If the cutouts soften before you've had a chance to transfer them to the pan, pop them back in the freezer to firm up.  Be sure to freeze the cutouts for at least 15 minutes before baking too.  That will help them retain their shape as they bake. 

Look how cute they turned out.  And just wait until you taste them - they're amazing.  Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

If you don't have a maple leaf cutter, feel free to use any shape you like.  I sometimes cut them with a 2 1/2-inch cutter from this round scalloped cutter set - they look very elegant stacked on a footed cake stand.  This recipe makes about thirty 2 1/2-inch round cookies.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• pure maple syrup https://amzn.to/3rcnFB6

• maple leaf plunge cutter https://amzn.to/3usHeHF

• rolling guides https://amzn.to/3objSlT

• half sheet pan https://amzn.to/35CtsaU

• silpat liner https://amzn.to/3rfun9m

• double sided round cutter set https://amzn.to/3AI53Mo

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Maple Leaf Cookies

makes about 3 dozen cookies (2 1/2-inch)

Printable Recipes

Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 1 large egg yolk

• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup

Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt; set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or BeaterBlade attachment, beat butter and both sugars together on medium speed for 3 minutes.

3. Reduce speed a little and add egg yolk and pure maple syrup; mix until combined.

4. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined.

5. Wrap cookie dough well in plastic and chill for a minimum of 2 hours (or up to several days).

6. Preheat oven to 325F and line 2 half sheet pans with Silpat liners.

7. Roll chilled cookie dough 1/4-inch thick between two layers of wax paper.

8. Freeze rolled cookie dough for exactly 15 minutes before cutting shapes with lightly floured cookie cutters; imprint design if using plunge cutters (don’t freeze longer than 15 minutes or the dough will be too hard to cut).

9. Transfer cutouts to prepared pans and return to freezer for another 15 minutes.

10. Bake one pan at a time in the center of the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the cookies just begin to turn golden around the edges. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

adapted from Martha Stewart

Awesome Gingerbread Cookies

Christmas is just around the coorner and it occurs to me that I've never shared my favorite gingerbread cookie recipe with you so here it is.  These cookies are soft and flavorful, but not too spicy and not too sweet.  They pair well with royal icing if you choose to add it, but they're perfectly tasty without.  The cookie dough is a dream to work with and it holds its shape beautifully when baked.  It's flexible too - good for small or large cookies.... and the dough can be made well in advance.  Love this recipe!  I hope you give it a try.

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This cookie recipe starts in a very uncommon way - on the stove top. 

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Sugar, molasses, water, and spices are brought to a rolling boil in a nonstick saucepan. The mixture is removed from the heat and butter is stirred in until completely melted.

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While the molasses mixture cools a bit, flour, baking soda, and salt are whisked to combine.

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Then the molasses and flour mixtures are combined just until combined.

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My BeaterBlade makes quick work of the job and I don't have to stop to scrape down the sides of my mixing bowl. 

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The mixture is soft and sticky - too soft and sticky to work with.  It needs to chill out in the fridge overnight before rolling and baking.  Place the mixture into a gallon-size zipper bag and pop it in the fridge.  The cookie dough will darken in color and firm considerably.

The next day (or week), roll the cookie dough between 2 layers of wax paper to 1/4-inch thickness (I love using these rolling guides very helpful).  Using wax paper eliminates the need to dust the cookie dough with excess flour, which makes subsequent cookies tough.  

Cut desired shapes.  Here I'm using an adorable mini gingerbread house cutter.

Can you picture it assembled and decorated? Check out the next photo!

So stinking cute!!!

Here are other mostly Christmas shapes.  The younger kiddos really like dinosaur shapes too.

And my favorite snowflake and frosty/gingerbread plunge cutter shapes.  Can't let a year go by without these little cuties. 

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• winter themed plunger cutters https://amzn.to/3Gdplie

• mini gingerbread house cookie cutter https://amzn.to/3INC4tx

• nonstick sauce pan https://amzn.to/3udFwtd

• beaterblade https://amzn.to/3KWNWez

• rolling guides https://amzn.to/3GrklGV

• dinosaur cookie cutters https://amzn.to/3obihfU

• christmas cookie cutters https://amzn.to/3GlejHO

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Awesome Gingerbread Cookies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup molasses

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 tablespoon ground ginger

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 4 cups all purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Directions

1. In a large heavy-bottom saucepan, heat sugar, molasses, water, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.

2. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves.

3. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted.

4. Cool for 15 minutes

5. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

6. Pour flour mixture into cooled molasses mixture; stir until combined.

7. Place dough in a gallon-size zipper storage bag; refrigerate overnight (or up to a week).

8. Preheat oven to 350F.

9. Roll dough between two layers of wax paper or parchment until dough is 1/4-inch thick.

10. Cut desired shapes using cutters that have been dipped in flour.

11. Place shapes on parchment or silpat lined sheet pans; bake 8-10 minutes for small to medium cookies (12 minutes or more for very large cookies).

12. When cookies are cool enough to handle without distorting, transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

• Cookie dough can be stored in the fridge for up to a week before baking.  

• To make cookie dough even further in advance, freeze well wrapped in plastic.  

• Thaw frozen cookie dough in plastic wrap, overnight in the fridge, before rolling and baking.  

recipe adapted from The Pastry Queen