Maple Leaf Sandwich Cookies with Maple Filling
The perfect cookie for fall – leaf-shaped and full of maple flavor! Easy but looks and tastes like a more involved recipe so it makes a great addition to any fall gathering or holiday dessert table!
The cookies and the filling are both filled with seasonal maple flavor and the fun, speckled look comes from a mix of flour and non-blanched almond flour (made from almonds with skins).
The first time I made these cookies, I used my sugar cookie recipe since I knew I’d be cutting them out with cookie cutters. But the plain white dough just seemed a bit boring. Enter almond flour! A little bit of almond flour adds that fun, speckled look and, as a bonus, it adds more flavor too!
For the filling, I used a half batch of my Maple Buttercream Frosting. It’s the perfect sweet compliment to these cookies because on their own, they’re flavorful without being too sweet.
Ingredients to Make Maple Leaf Sandwich Cookies
- KAMUT® White Flour (or all-purpose flour)
- almond flour
- baking powder
- salt
- unsalted butter
- sugar
- egg
- maple extract
- powdered sugar
- heat-treated flour *(see how to heat treat flour in notes)
- real maple syrup
- vanilla extract
Tools to Make Maple Leaf Sandwich Cookies
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Medium mixing bowl
- Dough hook or whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or hand mixer with large bowl
- Spatula
- Rolling pin
- Maple leaf cookie cutter
- Liquid measuring cup
- Sieve or fine metal mesh strainer
- Kitchen scale
- Piping bag
- Wilton #10 piping tip (or similar small, round piping tip)
All About Ingredients for Maple Leaf Sandwich Cookies
Flour
I primarily use KAMUT® White Flour because I love the taste and nutritional profile but I write all of my recipes with the option to use all purpose flour so we can all bake together whether you have easy access to KAMUT® White Flour or not. Read more about KAMUT® Brand Wheat here.
Almond Flour
As mentioned above, the almond flour adds a nice look and additional flavor. The subtle nuttiness and maple go great together and fit perfectly into any fall menu or occasion!
Maple Extract
The cookies and frosting both contain maple extract. This brings maple flavor without adding too much moisture to the cookies or the frosting.
Real Maple Syrup
In addition to extract, the frosting also contains real maple syrup for an authentic maple flavor. There is no syrup in the cookie dough because it would add too much moisture.
Vanilla Extract
Vanilla extract adds some warmth and depth of flavor to the frosting but isn’t necessary in this cookie dough.
How to Make Maple Leaf Sandwich Cookies
Line two trays with parchment paper and set aside.
Start with dry ingredients and using a whisk or dough hook, combine both flours, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and mix until just combined. Add the maple extract and mix until just combined.
Add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in one or a few batches (add in a few batches if using a smaller, tilt-head mixer or a hand mixer.). Mix until just combined.
If you used room temperature softened butter, refrigerate cookie dough for 30 minutes before rolling. If you used cold butter, move on to the next step.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out cookie dough until approximately ⅛” thick. Recipe should make 24 individual cookies (enough for 12 sandwich cookies) but you will likely need to gather dough scraps, knead a few times and reroll the dough once or twice.
Place 12 cookies per tray. They will not spread very much.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating and swapping racks in the oven halfway through. Cookies are fine when the bottom edges are just starting to turn golden brown.
How to Make Maple Buttercream Frosting
Start by heat-treating flour, making it safe to eat uncooked:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spread a thin, even layer of flour on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for approximately 8 minutes.
- Let cool completely and set aside.
Next, cream the butter until smooth.
Sift powdered sugar and heat-treated and cooled flour.
Add the sifted sugar-flour mixture in a few additions to the bowl of the stand mixer or to the mixing bowl if using a hand mixer.
Measure the maple syrup in a liquid measuring cup and when the powdered sugar and butter are combined and smooth, set the mixer to low speed and slowly add the syrup in a steady stream. Mix until incorporated and then add the extracts and salt and mix until incorporated.
Increase the mixer to medium-high speed and mix until the frosting lightens in color and increases in volume. Pause mixing and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
This recipe will make enough frosting for 12 sandwich cookies.
Maple Leaf Sandwich Cookies with Maple Filling
Ingredients
Maple Almond Cookie Dough
- 1 1/4 cup KAMUT® White Flour or 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling cookies
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp maple extract
Maple Buttercream Filling
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 5 oz powdered sugar
- 1 TBSP heat-treated flour * see how to heat treat flour in notes
- 2 TBSP real maple syrup
- ¾ tsp maple extract
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Dash of fine salt
Instructions
- Line two trays with parchment paper and set aside.
- Start with dry ingredients and using a whisk or dough hook, combine both flours, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and mix until just combined. Add the maple extract and mix until just combined.
- Add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in one or a few batches (add in a few batches if using a smaller, tilt-head mixer or a hand mixer.). Mix until just combined.
- If you used room temperature softened butter, refrigerate cookie dough for 30 minutes before rolling. If you used cold butter, move on to the next step.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out cookie dough until approximately ⅛” thick. Recipe should make 24 individual cookies (enough for 12 sandwich cookies) but you will likely need to gather dough scraps, knead a few times and reroll the dough once or twice.
- Place 12 cookies per tray. They will not spread very much.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating and swapping racks in the oven halfway through. Cookies are fine when the bottom edges are just starting to turn golden brown.
- How to Make Maple Buttercream Frosting
- Start by heat-treating flour, making it safe to eat uncooked:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spread a thin, even layer of flour on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for approximately 8 minutes.
- Let cool completely and set aside.
- Next, cream the butter until smooth.
- Sift powdered sugar and heat-treated and cooled flour.
- Add the sifted sugar-flour mixture in a few additions to the bowl of the stand mixer or to the mixing bowl if using a hand mixer.
- Measure the maple syrup in a liquid measuring cup and when the powdered sugar and butter are combined and smooth, set the mixer to low speed and slowly add the syrup in a steady stream. Mix until incorporated and then add the extracts and salt and mix until incorporated.
- Increase the mixer to medium-high speed and mix until the frosting lightens in color and increases in volume. Pause mixing and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Transfer frosting to a large piping bag fitted with a Wilton #10 small round tip.
Notes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spread a thin, even layer of flour on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for approximately 8 minutes.
- Let cool completely and set aside.
