Maple Leaf Cookies

Today I am saluting our neighbors to the north. I have only gone to Canada once withe my mom and her friend up to the Quebec region, and it was wonderful! One of the bed and breakfasts we stayed in was actually on a maple farm, and that was so great. Every morning the owners (a husband and wife duo) would make a breakfast for all of the lodgers. Everything they made could either be dowsed in maple syrup or was made with the syrup. We even got to see how they would tap the trees.

These little cookies are shaped into maple leaves like the one on the Canadian flag. There are two schools of thought regarding the origin of maple syrup. One says that it dates back to pre-recorded history with the Native Americans. It is said that they made a V-shaped cut into the trees with tomahawks and tap them with reeds or concave pieces of bark. They would boil the maple in clay pots over outdoor fires. Some historians say that Native Americans didn't have the technology or the tools to make maple syrup, and that the European settlers (from France mainly) brought the tools in the 18th or 19th century. These historians still say that the Native Americans showed the settlers how to tap the trees and that it was a possibility.

I made a frosting to put in the center of two cookies, but I improvised, so I can't give exact amounts. I used 1 stick of butter, maple butter (maybe 6-8 oz.--you can also use maple syrup), around a tablespoon of milk, and confectioners' sugar. I ended up making too much frosting, but I just put the rest into the freezer to use later with another dessert or maybe just to dip animal crackers in. Who knows!


Maple Leaf Cookies

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt


1. Into large bowl, measure all ingredients. With mixer on low speed, beat ingredients until well mixed, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.

2. Shape dough into ball; wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough 1 hour or until easy to handle.

3. Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease large cookie sheet.

4. On lightly floured surface, with lightly floured rolling pin, roll 1/3 of the dough at a time 1/8 inch thick, keeping remaining dough refrigerated.

5. With floured maple leaf shaped cookie cutter, cut dough into leaves.

6. Place cookies 1 inch apart on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake 7-10 minutes or until golden.

7. Carefully remove to wire racks to cool. Repeat until all dough is used, greasing cookie sheet each time.