Cinnamon Spiced Maple Cutout Cookies
This is my all-time favorite cutout cookie recipe! Adapted from the recipe my mom & grandma used for years. Perfectly soft, lightly spiced with cinnamon & flavored with maple, and they hold their shapes while baking! Decorate by dipping them in white chocolate & adding sprinkles for an easy festive look!
Servings 4 dozen
Ingredients
- 4 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp mace You can find this with the other baking spices
- 2 sticks salted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated or cane sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 and 1/2 tsp maple extract
- 2 TBSP real maple syrup
For Decorating:
- white chocolate
- sprinkles
Instructions
- Make the Cookie Dough: Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter with electric mixer until creamy. Add the sugars and mix until well combined and creamed - it should be fluffy looking. Add the eggs, vanilla, maple extract, and maple syrup and mix until just combined. Add the dry ingredients in 2 additions, mixing between each, and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix until the dry ingredients are just incorporated - stop when no bits of flour remain. If the dough is a bit dry, add 1-2 TBSP milk (See photos in blog post above for what you want the dough to look like).
- Chill the Dough: Divide the dough in half and flatten each into a disc about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight. Dough can also be frozen for up to 2 months - thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
- Cut Out the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Once chilled, roll out the dough on a lightly floured counter, until it is between 1/4" and 3/8" thick. (I prefer mine a bit on the thicker side, but the ones pictured here are closer to 1/4".)Cut out cookies with cookie cutters, and re-roll scraps. Place cookies on prepared sheet, leaving some space between the cookies (see photo in blog post above). Chill in the freezer for 8 minutes before baking to help the cookies hold their shape in the oven.
- Bake: Bake chilled cookies for 9-11 minutes (mine usually need the full 11 minutes, especially at the 3/8" thickness). Let cookies cool on baking sheet about 5-8 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before decorating. Decorate with white chocolate, royal icing, or your favorite frosting.Let the chocolate or frosting set on the cookies before storing.
- Serve + Store: Once the chocolate is set, enjoy the cookies! Store leftovers tightly covered, at room temp, for up to a week. Store them in an airtight container in layers, with wax or parchment paper between each layer.
- Make Ahead Tips: The cookie dough can be made 1 day ahead and chilled in the fridge. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months - wrap in plastic wrap and place in a ziploc bag to ensure it's well sealed and won't dry out - thaw in the fridge overnight before using. Cookies can be baked and stored in an airtight container at room temp for 1-2 days before decorating, if desired. The cut out cookie shapes can also be frozen, and baked from frozen. Bake for the same time as directed above - no other changes are needed.
Notes
NOTE: Yield can be a bit higher or lower depending on the size of cookie cutters used. You can cut the recipe in half if you want fewer cookies.