Maple Leaf Cookies

from ButterYum

makes about 3 dozen cookies (2 1/2-inches)

Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 1 large egg yolk

• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup

Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt; set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or BeaterBlade attachment, beat butter and both sugars together on medium speed for 3 minutes.  

3. Reduce speed a little and add egg yolk and pure maple syrup; mix until combined.

4. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined.  

5. Wrap cookie dough well in plastic and chill for a minimum of 2 hours (or up to several days).

6. Preheat oven to 325F and line 2 half sheet pans with Silpat liners.

7. Roll chilled cookie dough to 1/4-inch thickness between layers of wax paper.

8. Freeze rolled cookie dough for exactly 15 minutes before cutting shapes with lightly floured cookie cutters; imprint design if using plunge cutters (don't feeze longer than 15 minutes or the dough will be too hard to cut).

9. Transfer cutouts to prepared pans and return to freezer for another 15 minutes.

10. Bake one pan at a time in the center of the oven for about 15 minutes or until the cookies just begin to turn golden around the edges.  Cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.

adapted from Martha Stewart