Get the Recipe: Maple Leaf Sugar Cookies
These maple leaf sugar cookies are soft, buttery, and flavored with warm fall spices and maple. Topped with maple royal icing, they're a festive treat for Thanksgiving and fall gatherings!
Ingredients
Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- 2 ½ cups (312 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) salt
- ¼ tsp (1.25 g) ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp (1.25 g) ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp (1.25 g) ground cloves
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cup (180 g) powdered sugar
- 1 (1) large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) maple extract
Royal Icing
- 2 Tablespoons (30 g) meringue powder
- 4-6 Tablespoons (60 ml) warm water
- 2 ⅔ cups (320 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) maple extract
Instructions
Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine softened butter and powdered sugar using a hand mixer. Beat until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and maple extract, and beat until thoroughly incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides as necessary.
- With mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the bowl. The dough is ready when most of it sticks to the paddle. When touched, it has a little give, but does not stick to fingers.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Flour the work surface and roll dough to slightly less than 1/4-inch thick, using flour for dusting as necessary. Use maple leaf cookie cutters to cut cookies and place on prepared baking sheet. Gather scraps and re-roll dough when necessary.
- Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, rotating halfway through. Allow cookies to cool on a baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Prepare icing.
Royal Icing
- Place the meringue powder and 4 Tablespoons water in a large mixing bowl, and whip with the whisk attachment until foamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and maple extract. Whip on medium speed until very stiff and thick, about 3 minutes. The royal icing should hold a medium peak. If necessary, thin with additional water, a drop at a time, to get the desired consistency.
- Transfer icing to an icing bag fitted with a small round tip (I used Wilton #2). Outline the cookies with icing and fill. Let the icing set before serving. Icing is dry to the touch in 1 hour and is completely hardened after 12 hours.
Notes
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Make sure the icing is fully set before stacking, and place parchment paper between layers.
Freeze baked cookies, with or without icing, in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 207kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 27mg, Sodium: 55mg, Potassium: 244mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 250IU, Vitamin C: 0.01mg, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 1mg