Glazed Maple Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced into 1 Tbsp pieces
• 6 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp maple extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 Tbsp real maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp maple extract
• Milk to thin as needed
• Fall colored sprinkles, optional
• Finely hopped pecans, optional

Directions

1. For the cookies, whisk the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat until the mixture is fully blended. Mix in the maple extract.
2. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dough comes together. Split the dough into 2 portions. Set each portion on its own sheet of plastic wrap and press it into a disk, about 5-inches across. Wrap the disks and refrigerate for 30 minutes, keeping them separate rather than stacked.
3. Take 1 disk of dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, with a little flour dusted over the top as well, roll it to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out maple leaves with a cookie cutter, then move the cutouts to an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and chill the cookies for 15 minutes. While they chill, heat the oven to 350 degrees.
5. Move the chilled baking sheet to the heated oven and bake until the edges are pale golden, about 14 – 16 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for several minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely. Repeat the rolling, cutting, chilling, baking, and cooling with the remaining disk of dough.
6. For the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and maple extract together in a medium mixing bowl, adding milk 1/2 tsp at a time as needed to thin it. The glaze should stay fairly thick, more like icing than a thin drizzle.
7. Spread the glaze over the cooled cookies. Right after glazing each cookie, add sprinkles or pecans if using, since the glaze starts setting quickly. Leave the cookies at room temperature until the glaze firms up. Store in an airtight container.