Maple cream cookies have been around since 1892 originating in Ontario, Canada...and of all the things that come to mind when I think of Canada these sweet little bites would be top of the list.
I remember as a child taking family vacations to a cabin by the lake in Quebec and the car ride spent passing around maple cream cookies. Even as a teenager when we moved across the globe to Alaska through Canada...I loved the different little treats you can find throughout the country that are unique. I cannot recall if we did pick up any of the cookies during the voyage to Alaska and back but I know I thought of them as we drove through!
I also have family that originates from Quebec and as an adult I can appreciate my love of these cookies and my heritage of the area I visited as a child. To this day every time I visit Canada whether it's Niagara Falls or elsewhere I always crave the maple cream cookies. What can I say?? Maple is in my blood...
Mix 3 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup of maple sugar with a paddle attachment until combined.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1 1/2 teaspoon of maple extract.
Slowly incorporate 3 1/2 cups of sifted all-purpose flour, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt into butter mixture until dough starts to come together.
Drop onto a lightly floured surface and form into 2 disks.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Remove dough from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 15 Minutes. Divide each half into 4 sections for easier rolling.
Roll to 1/8-1/4 inch thickness on a floured surface.
Using a maple leaf cookie cutter or a shape of your choice cut out cookies and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
The best tricks to cut out cookies is to roll them out on a silpat mat and use a bench scraper to pick up the cookie cutout and transfer to your baking sheet.
It's also helpful if you have a two piece cookie cutter with a stencil on the inside like I did to leave the inside stencil in while removing the outside cutter mold to keep all the tiny points of the leaf intact while removing the cookie cutter. No broken pieces!
Between each batch of cookies placed in the oven place cutout cookies on baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill before cooking. So if you have 3 cookie sheets one would be in the oven, one in the fridge chilling and one you are rolling out leaves and placing them on to go into the fridge next...rotating cookie sheets.
Bake for 13 Minutes to 14 minutes till slightly browned.
Cool completely.
In an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment beat 4 tablespoons of softened unsalted butter and gradually add in 3 cups organic powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 4 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3/4 teaspoon of maple extract and stir until smooth.
If the filling isn't spreadable then add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to thin it out, adding small amounts at a time to get to desired thickness.
Spread the bottom of half the cookies with about 1/2 ounce of the filling. Top with the remaining cookies.
Well wrapped cookies will keep at room temperature for several days, or you can freeze for longer storage.
Ingredients
Directions
Mix 3 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup of maple sugar with a paddle attachment until combined.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1 1/2 teaspoon of maple extract.
Slowly incorporate 3 1/2 cups of sifted all-purpose flour, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt into butter mixture until dough starts to come together.
Drop onto a lightly floured surface and form into 2 disks.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Remove dough from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 15 Minutes. Divide each half into 4 sections for easier rolling.
Roll to 1/8-1/4 inch thickness on a floured surface.
Using a maple leaf cookie cutter or a shape of your choice cut out cookies and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
The best tricks to cut out cookies is to roll them out on a silpat mat and use a bench scraper to pick up the cookie cutout and transfer to your baking sheet.
It's also helpful if you have a two piece cookie cutter with a stencil on the inside like I did to leave the inside stencil in while removing the outside cutter mold to keep all the tiny points of the leaf intact while removing the cookie cutter. No broken pieces!
Between each batch of cookies placed in the oven place cutout cookies on baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill before cooking. So if you have 3 cookie sheets one would be in the oven, one in the fridge chilling and one you are rolling out leaves and placing them on to go into the fridge next...rotating cookie sheets.
Bake for 13 Minutes to 14 minutes till slightly browned.
Cool completely.
In an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment beat 4 tablespoons of softened unsalted butter and gradually add in 3 cups organic powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 4 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3/4 teaspoon of maple extract and stir until smooth.
If the filling isn't spreadable then add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to thin it out, adding small amounts at a time to get to desired thickness.
Spread the bottom of half the cookies with about 1/2 ounce of the filling. Top with the remaining cookies.
Well wrapped cookies will keep at room temperature for several days, or you can freeze for longer storage.