Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 ounces)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon maple flavoring
- 2 large egg whites, divided
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar or granulated sugar
- Cooking spray
Directions to make Autumn Maple Cutout Cookies
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook until milk solids stop crackling and turn amber (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Transfer butter mixture to a small bowl, scraping pan to include milk solids. Cover and cool butter mixture in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or until soft and congealed but not firm.
- Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through nutmeg) in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.
- Combine chilled butter mixture and granulated sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add syrup, flavoring, and 1 egg white to butter mixture; beat at low speed 2 minutes or until well blended. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat on low speed until blended. Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 1 hour or until firm.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Place walnuts and turbinado sugar in a food processor; pulse 15 times or until mixture is coarsely ground. Place remaining 1 egg white in another small bowl; stir with a whisk.
- Working with one portion of the dough at a time (keep remaining dough chilled until use), roll dough to a 1/8-inch thickness on a floured surface, and cut with a 2 1/2-inch round or decorative cutter. Place 24 cookies, evenly spaced, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Gently brush tops of cookies with egg white; sprinkle evenly with half of walnut mixture. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until pale brown. Remove cookies from pan; cool completely on wire racks. Repeat procedure with remaining dough, egg white, and walnut mixture.
