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

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