Maple Leaf Cookies with Brown Butter Maple Glaze
Maple Leaf Cutout Cookies with Brown Butter Maple Glaze are the perfect fall treat! Soft, buttery cookies are cut into festive maple leaf shapes and topped with a nutty, maple-sweet glaze. They’re easy to make, fun to decorate, and great for Thanksgiving or cozy fall gatherings.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
Brown Butter Maple Glaze
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter browned and cooled
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1-2 Tbsp milk as needed for consistency
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
Make and Chill Cookie Dough
- In a large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture until a dough forms.
- Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chilled dough helps the cookies hold their shape, so don't skip this step.
Brown Butter
- While the dough chills, make the browned butter for the glaze. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, stirring often.
- The butter will foam and froth, and then the froth will begin to subside. Underneath, you’ll see brown specks forming on the bottom of the pan and smell a nutty aroma. At this point, remove it from the heat and transfer to a heat-safe bowl to cool completely.
Cut and Bake Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Roll out one portion of dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch thick.
- Use a maple leaf cookie cutter to cut shapes, placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake cookies for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are just barely golden.
- Let cool completely before glazing.
Make Glaze and Decorate Cookies
- Whisk the cooled browned butter (You can microwave it for a few seconds to soften it up if you need to) with powdered sugar, maple syrup, salt, and just enough milk to reach a thick but spreadable consistency.
- Spread glaze on each cooled cookie using a butter knife or offset spatula. I like to spread the glaze on top, and then run the butter knife around the edge of the cookie to get clean lines.Allow the glaze to set before serving.