Maple Butter Cookies

This is an old Gourmet recipe. The actual recipe used a maple leaf cookie cutter, but as you can see from the photo, I only had hearts. Very nice, mellow, maple-ish flavour. While these taste nice unglazed, the additional punch of maple takes it over the top.

• Ready In: 4 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 30

Ingredients

• 1  cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1  cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup  grade b maple syrup (or Grade A maple syrup flavored with 3 drops maple extract, or to taste)
• 1  large  egg yolk
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 3  cups all-purpose flour

• For Glaze

• 1 1⁄4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄4-1⁄3 cup maple syrup

Directions

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in maple syrup and egg yolk.
2. Combine salt and flour; fold into butter mixture.
3. Chill dough, wrapped well in plastic wrap, until firm; about 2 hours or overnight.
4. Dough may be made 4 days ahead and kept chilled.
5. Preheat oven to 350°.
6. Divide dough in half; place remainder back in refrigerator.
7. Lightly flour work surface, and quickly roll out to 1/8-inch thickness.
8. Cut out cookies with floured cutters; reroll any cut any scraps.
9. Repeat process with second batch of dough.
10. (If using maple leaf cutters, mark cookies decoratively with back of knife.).
11. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes until golden.
12. While cookies are cooling, combine ingredients for glaze.
13. When cookies have completely cooled, dip into glaze, and allow to dry on wire racks.
14. Cookies keep in airtight containers 1 week.