ISO Cutout Cookie with Maple Icing Recipe??

[zwieback]

I did do a search but, I'm not exactly sure what to search for so, my efforts produced massive amounts of threads and many threads with mutiple pages. I was just a bit overwhelmed. Anyway, I bought a couple of cookie cutters in the shape of a maple leaf so, I'm wanting a dough for cutout that would also go with a maple flavored icing. Do you think a regular sugar cookie would work? For some reason, I just have it in my head that that combination would be so sickening sweet (not too sure why because normal iced sugar cookies tend to be very sweet as well).

Any tried and true recipes out there for maple iced cutout cookies? I've never made a maple flavored icing so, I would appreciate whatever recommendations and/or suggestions you might have.

Thanks! :)

[brr9270]

I don't have any specific recipes for you, but I think a sugar, shortbread, or a gingerbread cookie would be great with maple icing. I would do a "royal" type icing and flavor it with maple.

[hAndyman]

Here's an excellent recipe for iced maple cookies. I've made them for an international gathering of students and sent them off to Switzerland for one of my own exchange students and her family. Very addictive, very tasty.

Maple Sugar Cookies

From “The All-American Cookie Book by Nancy Baggett”

“It’s well worth tracking down maple sugar to make these unusual rolled cookies. Be sure it’s maple sugar; some maple-flavored sugars contain cane sugar, which alters the consistency and flavor. If the sugar is coarse, grind it in a food processor or blender until it’s the consistency of granulated sugar. The cookies have a crispy texture and a seductive butter-and-maple flavor that is exceptional. Garnish them with a sprinkling of maple sugar or crystal sugar or decorate with the optional maple icing.”

1-1/2 cups all-purpose white flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup granular maple sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Powdered sugar, for rolling

Maple Icing (optional)
1/4 cup granular maple sugar
1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
About 1/4 cup powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the 1 1/2 cups flour and the baking powder; set aside. If the maple sugar is coarse, grind it in a food processor until it is the consistency of granulated sugar.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter, maple sugar, and sugar until very light and well blended. Add the egg, salt, and vanilla and beat until evenly incorporated. Beat or stir in the flour mixture just until evenly incorporated; the dough will be fairly soft. If too soft to handle, let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, or until firmed up slightly.
Divide the dough in half. Place each portion between large sheets of wax paper. Roll out each portion 1/8” thick; check the underside of the dough and smooth out any wrinkles that form. Stack the rolled portions (paper still attached) on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until cold and firm, or freeze for about 30 minutes to speed chilling.
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Grease several baking sheets or coat with nonstick spray.
Working with one portion at a time and leaving the remaining dough chilled, gently peel away, then pat one sheet of wax paper back into place. Flip the dough over, then peel off and discard the second sheet. Using a 2 1/2 to 3 inch maple leaf-shaped cutter, cut out the cookies; if the cutter sticks, occasionally dip it into powdered sugar, tapping off the excess. (If at any point the dough softens too much to handle easily, transfer the paper and the cookiesto a baking sheet and refrigerate or freeze until firm again.) Using a spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to the baking sheets, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart. Reroll any dough scraps. Continue cutting out the cookies until all the dough is used. [I sprinkled turbinado sugar on the cookies before baking. The author instructs you to sprinkle sugar on the cookies after they’re baked, but I didn’t think the sugar would stick, so I just sprinkled it on before.]
Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, in the upper third of the oven for 6 to 9 minutes, or until just slightly colored on top and faintly tinged with brown at the edges. Reverse the sheet from front to back halfway through baking to ensure even browning. [I had to bake them longer than the 6-9 minutes she called for; I probably baked them closer to 11 minutes, but they’re nice and crunchy.]
Using a spatula, immediately transfer the cookies to wire racks. If topping the cookies with maple sugar or coarse crystal sugar, sprinkle it over while the cookies are still hot. Let stand until completely cooled. Cool the baking sheets between batches.
For the icing, if using: [I skipped this] In a small, deep bowl, thoroughly stir together the maple sugar, 1 teaspoon hot water, corn syrup, and vanilla until the maple sugar dissolves and the mixture is well blended and smooth. Gradually stir in enough powdered sugar to stiffen the icing to piping consistency; stir until completely smooth. Spoon the icing into a paper cone or a small pastry bag fitted with a moderately fine writing tip. Pipe leaf-vein lines on the cookies. Let stand until the icing sets, at least 1 hour.
Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 10 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Andy’s notes: I add ~1/2 tsp maple extract to the dough and replaced the vanilla with maple extract in the icing. I roll to 1/8" using 1/8" dowels as guides. I baked 7 minutes. Refrigerate scraps after re-rolling, before cutting, for a few minutes. Cookies are very crisp, but soften after a couple of hours in a sealed container. The maple sugar for the icing should be pushed through a sieve to break up or remove any lumps before piping. Recipe made 46 cookies using a 3" maple cookie cutter.

[misskitty100]

YUM!!! Btw, Starbucks has the BEST Maple Frosted cookies right now - I sampled one a week ago and can't wait to have another.