Maple Sugar Cookies

These maple sugar cookies are soft cut-out sugar cookies with crisp, defined edges that are loaded with maple syrup flavor. Use your favorite cookie cutter for fun shapes, and top with a sweet maple icing!

There’s something about the smell of warm maple syrup that’s just so comforting. You know what I mean?

For me, it signals retreating to the kitchen in cozy pajamas on the weekend, clutching a hot cup of coffee. We always warm up our maple syrup in a little pitcher while we make up a batch of pancakes, waffles or french toast, and it fills the room with the sweet amber aroma.

We popped into a little cafe for breakfast recently and when we opened the door we were greeted with the welcome scent of warm maple syrup. There’s just something about it that’s calming, comforting, and makes everything all cozy. And I’m all about cozy in the cooler weather.

If you came by my house on the weekends, you’d find me in fleece penguin pajama pants, an oversized hoodie and fuzzy socks with my hands gripping a big mug of coffee like my life depended on it. Warm and cozy.

I’ve already incorporated maple syrup into my breakfast with these maple bacon donuts, and I’ve added it to my maple bacon snickerdoodles and maple bacon cupcakes… so maybe it’s time I stop insisting that bacon accompany maple syrup everywhere it goes. I decided to go pure maple syrup for these sugar cookies – no bacon in sight.

Warning: This post contains a lot of pictures. Why? Because I just really love looking at these maple sugar cookies. That’s it, no deeper meaning.

Let’s just get something out of the way right now: if you don’t use pure, real, straight outta the tree maple syrup for these cookies you’re going to regret it and the New England gods will frown upon you. I promise you, it makes a difference. You need the thick, pure, robust amber flavor that you can only get with the real thing. Anything coming out of a bottle in the shape of a woman that’s butter flavored is just… wrong. Please trust me on this, and believe me when I say it’s worth the extra dough.

… get it? Because we’re talking about cookie dough, and also money. GET IT?! You get it.

You can go a few routes with these cookies. You can eat them plain without any icing at all, and they’re perfectly soft as you bite into them, with a slightly sweet maple flavor.

This is perfectly acceptable.

Alternatively, you can coat them in the two ingredient, super simple and quick-to-make maple glaze. It adds more sweetness to the finished product, and adds a little creamy touch to each bite.

This is my personal favorite, and I never get sick of it.

Finally, you can coat them in the icing and then add sprinkles! This style adds a little crunch and gives you more of that Christmas cookie experience. Of which, adding these to your cookie swap box would make just about any New Englander so happy. Or any non-New Englander, for that matter.

Plus, topping them with gold sprinkles adds a pretty little shimmer. And if there’s anything I’m looking for in my dessert, it’s a little shimmer. I like my cookies to have a little pizzazz, because what’s life without whimsy? 

I know most people reach for a glass of milk when they eat cookies, but I really find a cup of coffee goes best with these little guys. It reminds me of breakfast, and… well, I like breakfast.

And no, that’s not thick, syrupy coffee in the above picture. That’s just syrup.

Please don’t drink syrup with your cookies. This isn’t Super Troopers.

Get your oven preheating, clean off your counters, and get to it. Depending on the size of your choice cookie cutter, you can get between 24 and 36 of these sweet things. Depending on how many people you’re planning on serving… well, regardless, you’ll probably just want to double the recipe. You know, just to be sure no one gets left out.

Maple Sugar Cookies

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★★★★★

5 from 10 reviews

• Author: Leslie Haasch
• Prep Time: 15m
• Cook Time: 8m
• Total Time: -51607956.366667 minute
• Yield: About 24 cookies
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake

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Description

Soft cut-out sugar cookies with crisp, defined edges that are loaded with maple syrup flavor. Use your favorite cookie cutter for fun shapes, and top with a sweet maple icing!

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Ingredients

Cookies:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon maple extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Maple Icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

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Instructions

Cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare 2 baking sheets with nonstick silicon mats or parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a separate large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and creamy. 
4. Add egg, maple extract, vanilla extract and almond extract and beat to combine.
5. Add dry ingredients 1 cup at a time, beating on medium speed to combine between each addition.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to about 1/4″ thick (I like to use these rolling pin rings to ensure the dough is even). Use your favorite cookie cutter to cut out each cookie and place on prepared baking sheets. Since these won’t spread, you can add more to a sheet than usual, but I still like to leave 1″ between each cookie for even baking. 
7. Bake for about 8 minutes until cookies are set, but edges are not yet browned.
8. Bake one batch at a time, allowing the baking sheet to cool completely before adding the next batch of cookies to bake – this will ensure even and consistent baking times.
9. Let cool 10 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Maple Icing:

1. While cookies are cooling, combine sifted powdered sugar and maple syrup in a small mixing bowl and use a whisk to combine – the icing will thicken and become a tan color. 
2. Use a small icing spatula to coat each cookie. I like to spread all the way to the edges, but you can also pour the icing into a piping bag and drizzle on top instead if you’d prefer.
3. Let set completely, then serve and enjoy!

Notes

Note: Once the icing has set completely, store cookies in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper. 

Tip: Add a piece of bread to the container to keep cookies soft longer!

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