Maple lovers will delight in these soft Frosted Maple Sugar Cookies! Made with sweet, rich maple syrup and iced with a golden brown maple frosting, they’re guaranteed to win over any crowd!
So my sister just got back from visiting Vancouver, BC Canada.
And I am still jealous.
I wanted to go exploring with her because I have a weird obsession with Canada and Canadians. They just have this je ne sais quoi that I can’t quite pinpoint. Maybe it’s because they actually know what “je ne sais quoi” means and could entertain my half-hearted French in conversation.
But alas, I have this book deadline looming and wanted to take advantage of natural light while we still have it, so I skipped this trip. After the book’s done though, you bet your passport I’m headed to the land of all things maple syrup.
I begged my sister to bring me back something utterly Canadian, so she brought me back a Canadian flag from their dollar store. That was… not really what I meant.
She also – at the encouragement of her wise, beautiful, smart, hilarious older sister – brought back Canadian candy which was so delightful because it’s like getting candy from Mars. (The planet, not the company). I mean honestly, it could have been a Snickers bar but with a fancy name and French subtitles and I probably would have gobbled it up because of its uniqueness.
It was so fun trying all the new foreign candy, like Wunderbars, which are kind of like Butterfingers but with caramel. I was kinda sorta in heaven. And their Oh Henry with – get this – REESE Peanut Butter. Not Reese’s, but just Reese. Like Reese’s more mature older brother, he dropped the apostrophe ‘s’ and decided to be cool. I respect it, and like an idiot sucker, ate it up.
She also brought home a Kinder Egg, which may or may not be legal in this country. Which, come on, America. Get your stuff together. We have WARNING LABELS on shampoo that tell people not to eat it. If we could just stop being so freakin’ dumb and stop eating everything like we’re two-year-olds, maybe we could have nice things for a change.
Anyway, when I visit Canada someday soon, I am bringing back a trough of maple syrup because they’re known for the stuff. Her Canadian rendezvous inspired me to channel my inner wannabe Canadian and make these Frosted Maple Sugar Cookies. They are kinda sorta amazing and remind me of fall. Warm, aromatic, soft and tender with that sweet, rich, golden maple syrup flavor and an irresistible maple icing.
Hey, Canada! Let me see your bountiful glory and I’ll bring you ALL THE COOKIES, k?
*adapted from the Best Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies recipe
- FOR COOKIES:
- 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp maple extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cream of tarter
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- FOR ICING:
- 1 & ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ tsp maple extract
- 2-4 Tbsp hot water
- Chocolate sprinkles, optional but recommended
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, oil and sugar until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla and maple extracts and beat to combine. Beat in the eggs, baking soda, cream of tarter, salt and flour until a soft dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for at LEAST 2 hours, up to overnight. Chilling is MANDATORY.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners. Drop rounded Tablespoonfuls of dough 2" apart on the baking sheets. Bake for approx. 9-12 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time to ensure even cooking. Cool on the sheets completely.
- To make the frosting: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, maple extract and two (2) Tablespoonfuls of hot water. If mixture is too thick, add in an additional Tablespoon of hot water at a time, stirring well until smooth and glossy.
- Spoon a teaspoon or two of icing onto each cookie and spread it out. Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles if using. Otherwise, allow frosting to harden on each cookie, about 15 minutes.
Buttery, soft, plush and tender with that sweet, aromatic maple flavor… These cookies were devoured by my family and I know yours will love them, too!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
I grew up outside of Cleveland in a suburb that has a Maple Festival every spring, so I love maple. I’ve always wondered why we associate with fall baking, or at least I do, since it is harvested in the spring. Anyway, these look divine! And I love that you added chocolate sprinkles. 🙂
Kim, I had no idea maple was harvested in the spring! Good to know 😉
I love going to Canada! I live about an hour from the border and it is so fun to go over for a day trip once in a while!
Miranda, I’m jealous! Sounds like so much fun!