Holiday Baking :: Maple Cookies

Maple reminds me of my Grandparents, and how they always brought maple syrup and maple candy back to us from Vermont, which in turn reminds me of the holidays. So, I decided to include a maple cookie on our dessert buffet. They are tiny cookies in the shape of a maple leaf, frosted with icing that has the slightest hint of maple,and then sprinkled with brown sugar. In honor of Grandma & Grandpa Hawkins!



1 cup margarine or butter
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup or maple flavored syrup
1/3 cup milk
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger

In a medium saucepan, combine the margarine or butter, brown sugar,and maple syrup. Bring the mixture to boiling, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. Stir in the milk.

In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour, baking soda and ginger. Add the cooled syrup mixture to the flour mixture. Stir till thoroughly combined. Divide the dough in half. Cover and chill about 3 hours or till the dough is easy to handle.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each half of dough to to 1/2 inch thickness. Using a maple leaf or other leaf shaped cutter,cut dough into leaaf shapes. Place 1 inch apart onto un-greased cookie sheets. Using a table knife, score vein designs in the cookies (I didn't do this part because I was frosting mine. With no frosting on the cookie, the veins will be visible).

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 6-8 minutes or till bottoms are lightly browned. Remove cookies; cool on wire racks. Makes about 40 cookies.