Glazed Maple Shortbread Cookies

Glazed Maple Shortbread Cookies

Yield: About 2 dozen

Ingredients

Cookies
• 2 cups (283g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced into 1 Tbsp pieces
• 6 Tbsp (78g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp maple extract
Glaze
• 1 cup (132g) powdered sugar
• 3 Tbsp real maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp maple extract*
• Milk to thin as needed
• Fall colored sprinkles (optional)
• Finely hopped pecans (optional)

Directions

• In a mixing bowl whisk together flour and salt. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (preferably one that constantly scrapes bowl, if not stop and scrape down bowl occasionally throughout entire mixing process), mix together butter and sugar until well combined (not light and fluffy though, you don't want air bubbles in this dough). Mix in maple extract. With mixer set on low speed slowly add in flour mixture and mix just until combined. Divide dough into two portions and shape each into a disk (about 5-inches) on a sheet of plastic wrap, wrap plastic wrap around disks and transfer to fridge and chill 30 minutes (don't stack them, place them separately).
• Remove one disk of dough from fridge, rough out to an even 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface (also dusting top lightly with flour). Cut in to maple leaf shapes using a cookie cutter then transfer leaves to an ungreased baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to refrigerator and chill 15 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer from fridge to preheated oven and bake until edges are lightly golden, about 14 - 16 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining disk of dough.
• For the glaze:
• In a medium mixing bowl whisk together powdered sugar, maple syrup and maple extract while adding in milk 1/2 tsp at a time to thin as needed (glaze should be somewhat thick, similar to an icing). Spread glaze over cooled cookies and immediately top with sprinkles or pecans if using after icing each cookie (because the glaze will begin to set quickly). Let rest at room temperature to allow glaze to set. Store in an airtight container.
• *Note that some maple extracts have more coloring in them than others so your glaze may not be quite as dark as that pictured. I tested with two different brands, Mapleine and Watkins. While both are good I like the Watkins better for flavor as it seems to have a bit more of a maple flavor, but the Mapleine does have more of that classic maple glazed doughnut color.
• source: Cooking Classy