Autumn Maple Leaf Cookies Recipes

MAPLE LEAF COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl. Beat butter and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low, and add yolk, then 1/2 cup maple syrup, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture, and beat until just incorporated. Shape into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days).
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out 1 disk of dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a sheet of lightly floured parchment. Place parchment with dough on baking sheet. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Coat baking sheets with cooking spray, line with parchment, and coat parchment. Cut out cookies from frozen dough using a 3 1/2-inch maple-leaf-shaped cutter, and space 1 inch apart on sheets. Roll and cut scraps once. Freeze cookies until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Bake cookies until edges begin to turn golden, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer parchment with cookies to wire racks, and let cool for 5 minutes. Brush cookies with 2 tablespoons maple syrup, and sprinkle with 1/2 the sanding sugar. Let cool. Repeat with remaining dough, maple syrup, and sugar. (Cookies will keep for up to 2 days.)

MAPLE LEAF COOKIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Roll out on a floured surface to 1/8-in. thickness; cut with a cookie cutter dipped in flour. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned (do not overbake). Remove to wire racks to cool. For frosting, beat confectioners' sugar, butter, vanilla and salt. Add syrup; beat until smooth. If leaf veins are desired, set aside 1/2 cup; add food coloring to remaining frosting. Spread red frosting on cookies. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert round tip into bag. Fill bag with reserved frosting; pipe veins on leaves.

MAPLE MARBLED LEAF COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, flour, melted butter, egg, cinnamon and maple extract until soft dough forms.
• On floured surface, roll dough 1/4 inch thick. Cut with 3 1/2-inch leaf-shaped cookie cutter; place cutouts 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• In 2 small bowls, place 2/3 cup each of frosting; tint 1 bowl orange and 1 bowl yellow by stirring in food color to desired color. Tint remaining frosting with red food color to desired color. In large microwavable bowl, spoon colored frostings in bottom. (Do not mix colors together.) Microwave uncovered on High 20 to 30 seconds or until warmed and thinner consistency. Pull table knife through warmed frosting several times to make swirls.
• Dip top side of each cookie into glaze, letting excess drip off. Place cookie right side up on cooling rack placed over cookie sheet or waxed paper. Rewarm frosting mixture in microwave to maintain dipping consistency, and repeat swirling, if needed. Let stand about 2 hours or until set. Store covered in airtight container at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.

AUTUMN MAPLE CUTOUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
• Cook until milk solids stop crackling and turn amber (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally.
• Transfer butter mixture to a small bowl, scraping pan to include milk solids.
• Cover and cool butter mixture in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or until soft and congealed but not firm.
• Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through nutmeg) in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.
• Combine chilled butter mixture and granulated sugar in a large bowl; beat at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes).
• Add syrup, flavoring, and 1 egg white to butter mixture; beat at low speed 2 minutes or until well blended.
• Add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat on low speed until blended.
• Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 1 hour or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Place walnuts and turbinado sugar in a food processor; pulse 15 times or until mixture is coarsely ground.
• Place remaining 1 egg white in another small bowl; stir with a whisk.
• Working with one portion of the dough at a time (keep remaining dough chilled until use), roll dough to a 1/8-inch thickness on a floured surface, and cut with a 2 1/2-inch cutter.
• Place cookies, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
• Gently brush tops of cookies with egg white; sprinkle evenly with half of walnut mixture.
• Bake for 12 minutes or until pale brown.
• Remove cookies from pan; cool completely on wire racks.
• Repeat procedure with remaining dough, egg white, and walnut mixture.

AUTUMN MAPLE LEAF COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar together.
• Add 1/2 cup of maple syrup and egg yolk, mix well.
• Sift in flour and salt, combine well.
• Divide dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap and chill about 2 hours (this makes rolling and cutting the cookies possible. If you skip the chilling step you will have a huge mess when you try to roll them out!).
• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Roll dough 1/8 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters (leaf shapes are the most fun!).
• Place on baking sheet (ungreased is fine).
• Bake apx 12 minutes.
• Cool on pan about 5 minutes and move to wire rack (leave them too long and they will stick!).
• To make glaze- combine 1/2 cup maple syrup and 2 cups powdered sugar (be sure to sift the powdered sugar if you don't want lumpy glaze!). You can dip, drizzle or pipe on the glaze. You can easily cut the glaze in half- it makes a lot!

MAPLE LEAF BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a standing electric mixer cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy and beat in maple syrup and egg yolk until mixture is combined well. Sift together salt and flour over mixture and fold in thoroughly. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 2 hours. Dough may be made 4 days ahead and chilled.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Divide dough in half. Keeping one half chilled, lightly flour other half and on a lightly floured surface gently pound with a rolling pin to soften. Roll out dough 1/8 inch thick and with a 3-inch floured maple-leaf cookie cutter cut out cookies, chilling scraps. Arrange cookies on buttered baking sheets and if desired, with back of a knife, mark cookies decoratively. Make more cookies in same manner with remaining dough and with all the scraps pressed together.
• Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven until edges are golden, about 12 minutes, and transfer to racks to cool. Cookies keep in airtight containers 1 week.