Maple Leaf Cookies
YIELD: approximately 3 dozen cookies
Filled Maple Leaf Cookies
72 Maple Leaf Cookies
Maple Sugar Creme
Maple Leaf Cookies
290 g (1 ¼ cups) unsalted butter at room temperature
50 g (⅓ cup plus 1 teaspoon) granulated maple sugar
50 ml (3 ½ tablespoons) maple syrup
295 g (2 ⅓ cups) flour
Maple Leaf Cookies
Using a wooden spoon or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and maple sugar. Add the maple syrup in a thin stream. Add the flour all at once and mix until a dough forms. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll the dough out on a floured surface. If the dough is too stiff, warm it by kneading it by hand. Roll the dough out quickly, as the large amount of butter it contains will cause it to become sticky and difficult to work with as it warms up. Roll the dough out until it is 4 mm (slightly more than ⅛ inch) thick. Using a maple leaf-shaped cookie cutter, cut cookies from the dough.
Place the cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. With the dull side of a knife blade, trace leaf veins on the cookies. Be careful not to cut too deeply into the dough.
Refrigerate the cookies on the sheet for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 165°C (325°F). Bake the cookies until golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes. Cool on a rack.
Assembly
Make the maple sugar creme according to the recipe.
Using a knife or pastry bag, apply 10 ml (2 teaspoons) of maple sugar creme on the inside of one cookie. Top with another cookie, pressing gently to spread the creme without breaking the cookies.
Storage
The cookies should be eaten within 48 hours, as the filling will cause them to soften. Store the cookies well wrapped in a dry, cool place. Do not refrigerate.
