Maple Leaf Cookies

image of maple leaf cookies that have been dipped in marbled royal icing to look like Fall leaves

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5 from 1 rating

These maple leaf cookies bake up tender and buttery with a perfectly sweet, creamy maple buttercream filling.

Prep Time15

Cook Time13

Chill Time1

Total Time1 28

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American

Servings: 48 sandwich cookies

Calories: 145kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Equipment

Ingredients

Maple Leaf Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 100g
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temperature 76g
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup 40g
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 8g
2 tsp maple extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 360g
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine salt

Maple Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 113g
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup 20g
1 Tbsp heavy cream or milk 15g
2 tsp maple extract
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 5g
1/4 tsp fine salt 2g
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar 150g

Instructions

Maple Leaf Cookies

Wait to preheat the oven until you chill the cookie dough. Line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat 1 cup or 2 sticks of butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup of packed light brown sugar at a medium-high speed with a hand mixer or whisk attachment. Beat for a couple of minutes, until the mixture becomes lighter in color.
Add 1 egg + 1 large egg yolk, 2 Tbsp maple syrup, 2 tsp vanilla extract, and 2 tsp maple extract. Mix on a medium speed until incorporated.
Then mix in 2 3/4 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp fine salt on a low speed until just combined and there are no longer any visible streaks of flour. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula between additions.
At this point, the dough should still be pretty sticky. Divide the dough in half and wrap each portion of dough in a piece of plastic wrap. I like to flatten the dough out into a rectangle that's about 1/2 inch tall to make it easier to roll out once it's chilled.
Chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour, in the freezer for 20 minutes, or in the fridge overnight.
Turn on the oven to 350°F/175°C for about 30 minutes before you plan to roll out the dough.
Take one piece of dough out of the fridge or freezer, leaving the other in there to continue to chill. Unwrap the cookie dough and lay the plastic wrap out flat on your counter. We will be rolling out the cookie dough on the plastic wrap to make cleanup a breeze and to make it easier to cut out the cookies. Dust both sides of the cookie dough, your rolling pin, AND the cookie cutter with flour. Roll out the dough to be about 1/4 of an inch thick. If they're any thicker, your sandwich will end up being super thick!
Use a maple leaf cookie cutter to cut out as many cookies as possible and place them about 1 inch apart on the prepared sheets. They don't spread much as they bake, so you can place them pretty close together.
Chill the cut-out cookies one more time in the fridge for 15 minutes or the freezer for 5 minutes to help them keep their shape as they bake.
Bake one sheet of cookies at a time for 12-14 minutes on the middle rack of your oven for crunchy cookies. If you want them to be soft and chewy, bake for 11-12 minutes. Keep in mind that bake time can vary based on the size of the cookies and the thickness of your dough. Keep a close eye on the cookies and be sure to pull them out before the edges start to brown.
Let the baked cookies cool on the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. While the first batch bakes and cools, knead together the cookie dough scraps and repeat the above steps. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.

Maple Buttercream Frosting

Beat 1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth.
Mix in 1 Tbsp of maple syrup, 1 Tbsp heavy cream or milk, 2 tsp maple extract, 1 tsp of vanilla paste or vanilla extract, and 1/4 tsp of fine salt on a low speed.
Gradually mix in 1 1/4 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
If the frosting seems too thick, add in a little milk of your choice (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar (a quarter of a cup at a time).
Scoop the frosting into a small piping bag or a freezer ziploc bag fitted with a small round piping tip (like a Wilton 10) and seal the top with a rubber band. If you don't have that type of piping tip, you can just cut a 1/2 cm opening at the base of the piping bag. Set aside.
Once the cookies have cooled, pipe a layer of frosting on the back of one of the cookies. Gently sandwich a second cookie on top. Repeat with the remaining cookies, then enjoy! If you want to decorate them to look colorful like Fall leaves, follow the royal icing instructions in this post and dip them once they've been chilled in the fridge to help firm up the buttercream.

Notes

How Many Cookies Does This Recipe Make?

This recipe can be used to make about 48 2-inch maple leaf sandwich cookies. The yield and bake time will vary based on the size and shape of the cookie cutter(s) you use.

This recipe can be halved to make fewer cookies (use 1 large egg in the dough), but I don't recommend doubling it unless you have a commercial (8 qt.) stand mixer.

Making These Maple Leaf Cookies in Advance and Storage Tips

You can store frosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature, up to 5 days in the fridge, or for up to a month in the freezer. Don't put the cookies in the fridge if you end up dipping them in royal icing, though! The condensation will make the royal icing bleed.

If you want to stack the cookies on top of one another, I recommend chilling them thoroughly before doing so and adding a layer of parchment paper between them. The buttercream will firm up when it's chilled.

This cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 1 month if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container. I like to move the cookie dough to the fridge the night before I plan to roll it out and bake the cookies.

Baked, unfrosted cookies can also be frozen! These cookies last for up to a month if frozen in an airtight container. I recommend waiting to decorate them until they’ve thawed to room temperature.

Move them to the fridge the day before you plan to eat them, then let them sit out at room temperature for a few hours before frosting them.

Tips for Making the Best Maple Cookies

Don’t overwork the cookie dough! It can overwork the gluten and result in tough, dense cookies.
Roll the cookie dough out to a consistent thickness of 1/4 inch. If some are thicker or thinner than others, they may over- or under-bake in the oven.
Don’t overbake your cookies. Err on the side of underbaking your cookies, and remember that the cookies continue to bake for a few minutes once they’re out of the oven.

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