Maple Blossom Cookies

Recipe provided by Gesine Bullock-Prado

Difficulty: Easy
Yield: 30 cookies
Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 of 30): Calories 250, Total Fat 14g, Saturated Fat 8g, Carbohydrates 29g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugar 9g, Protein 3g, Cholesterol 59mg, Sodium 43mg
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes (including chilling and cooling)
Active Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

5 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 pound (4 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
4 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of half a lemon
Whole milk, for brushing
Colored sanding sugar, for decoration

Special tools: a 3-inch flower-shaped cookie cutter; 30 lollipop sticks

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar together until smooth and just starting to lighten in color. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add maple syrup and mix again to combine. Scrape down the bowl one more time, add egg yolks one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Incorporate vanilla extract and lemon zest until just blended.
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, mixing only until everything is barely combined. Transfer the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a disk, folding to incorporate any loose flour. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before rolling out.
Preheat the oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to approximately 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 3-inch flower shapes. Gather scraps of dough, wrap them in plastic wrap and chill again for 10 minutes before rerolling and cutting additional shapes. Insert a lollipop stick halfway up each cookie, brush a little milk on it, and secure the stick using small pieces of scrap dough. Flip the cookies over and carefully place them on the prepared baking sheets. Brush the tops with a thin layer of milk and sprinkle with colored sanding sugar.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn lightly golden. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Delight in the delicate charm of these Maple Blossom Cookies, where maple syrup infuses every buttery bite with Vermont's sweet essence. Perfect for cookie swaps or gifting on sticks, they're an irresistible invitation to bake joy into your kitchen!