Soft Maple Cookies with Maple Icing

Ingredients

For the Soft Maple Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons maple extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
4½ cups all-purpose flour
For the Maple Icing
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup milk
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Pinch of salt
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat and Prepare
Position your oven rack in the center and preheat to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.

Step 2: Make the Cookie Dough
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is very light, pale, and fluffy. This should take about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until they are fully incorporated. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the buttermilk and mix just until combined. Add the salt, vanilla extract, maple extract, baking soda, and baking powder, and mix until everything is well blended.

Gradually add the flour in two additions, mixing on low speed after each just until the flour disappears. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.

Step 3: Scoop and Bake
Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or a spoon, drop mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.

Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the edges are just set and the cookies are very pale and slightly puffy. Be very careful not to overbake. They will look underdone, but that is the key to a soft texture. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes to firm up slightly before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 4: Prepare the Maple Icing
While the cookies cool, make the icing. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar together. Stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Let it boil for exactly 2 minutes, whisking continuously.

Carefully add the milk, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. The mixture will bubble up. Return it to a boil and cook for 1 more minute, whisking constantly. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool for about 15 minutes. The mixture will thicken slightly as it cools.

After 15 minutes, whisk in the sifted powdered sugar until you have a smooth, thick, glue-like icing. If it seems too thick to spread, add a little more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches a manageable consistency.

Step 5: Frost and Set
Quickly spread the warm icing over the cooled cookies using a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon. The icing will begin to set as it cools. Let the frosted cookies sit at room temperature until the icing is firm and set before storing.