spiced shortbread cookies with salted maple frosting

I’ve been craving these ever since my visit to Haute Coffee in Concord, MA. My family and I were on an autumn excursion to “leaf peep” in the gorgeous weather, and we couldn’t very well do so without coffee and pastries. We have priorities, obviously.

My sister-in-law, Jen, ordered coffee and this delicious looking maple cookie with frosting. Now, I’m usually one to share food and ask others if they “mind if I try a bite??” However, Jen was 7 months pregnant at the time and I just couldn’t bring myself to take food from a pregnant woman. Never ever ever. It seems like a cardinal rule of pregnancy. Can anyone verify? I’m sure Jen would have been quite willing to share, because she is nice like that, but I didn’t dare ask.

To distract myself from how much I wanted to try her maple cookie, I started thinking of ideas for how I could duplicate them and blog about it.

(Not pictured: the copious amounts of dough that I ate in-between taking photographs)

I had wanted to make the cookies into cute little “sandwiches,” but my frosting ended up being a bit thin for that. However, I loved how they turned out! I have made several batches already, and my family keeps asking for more.

---

SPICED SHORTBREAD COOKIES WITH SALTED MAPLE FROSTING
with guidance from: joe pastry

makes approximately 2 dozen cookies (2 inches in diameter)

Ingredients:
1 cup (128g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup (113g) cold unsalted butter, diced
1 teaspoon vanilla

salted maple frosting:
4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
4 oz (1/2 cup) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (start with 1/4 tsp and add more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch cinnamon
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup confectioners sugar, sifted

Directions:
Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine flour, sugar, salt, cloves, and cinnamon in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add vanilla and butter and beat on high for 3 minutes, starting with a low speed so you don’t get a face full of flour!

On a lightly floured surface, roll out your dough to roughly 1/3 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut into 2 inch rounds (or cut into whatever size you want). Place them on your prepared cookie sheet, at least one inch apart and cool in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

When cookies are chilled, put them in the oven and immediately turn down the temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cookies are barely turning light golden brown.

Cool cookies completely before frosting. To make the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese together for 2 minutes (or until smooth) with a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and maple syrup; mix again until smooth. Add sifted confectioners sugar and mix until smooth. Frost the cookies and store in refrigerator.