The Ultimate Guide to Baking Irresistible Iced Maple Sugar Cookies: Soft, Chewy, and Perfectly Sweet
Indulge in the comforting embrace of fall and winter flavors any time of year with these truly exceptional Iced Maple Sugar Cookies. Each bite offers a harmonious blend of soft, chewy texture and rich, aromatic maple goodness that elevates the classic sugar cookie to an entirely new level of decadence. If you’re already a fan of traditional sugar cookies, prepare to be utterly delighted by how a simple yet thoughtful addition of pure maple syrup can transform your baking experience and create a treat that’s both familiar and wonderfully unique.
To all my fellow maple lovers out there, prepare yourselves for a truly special treat! These Iced Maple Sugar Cookies are a testament to perfection in every single detail. They boast a delightful crispness on the outside, giving way to an incredibly soft and chewy interior that simply melts in your mouth. Each cookie is generously drizzled with a delectable maple vanilla glaze, adding another layer of sweet, warm flavor and a beautiful, inviting finish. While they are undoubtedly a festive favorite, perhaps even Santa’s preferred snack alongside a glass of milk during the holidays, their exquisite taste makes them ideal for any moment you find yourself craving the pure, sweet essence of maple syrup. These cookies aren’t just a dessert; they’re an experience, a little bite of comfort and joy perfect for sharing or savoring all by yourself.
Why These Iced Maple Sugar Cookies Will Become Your New Favorite
There’s something uniquely captivating about the combination of classic sugar cookie comfort and the sophisticated sweetness of maple. These cookies stand out for several reasons:
- Unforgettable Flavor Profile: The pure maple syrup infuses both the cookie dough and the icing with a deep, earthy, and naturally sweet maple flavor that is utterly addictive. It’s warm, cozy, and perfectly balanced, not overly sugary.
- Irresistible Texture: Achieving the perfect cookie texture is an art, and this recipe delivers. You’ll find a slight crispness around the edges, leading to a wonderfully soft and supremely chewy center. The smooth, sweet icing adds another textural dimension that enhances the overall mouthfeel.
- Versatile for Any Occasion: While they shine brightly during the holiday season, these maple-infused delights are fantastic year-round. They’re equally at home at a casual gathering, a formal dessert table, or simply as a comforting snack with your afternoon tea or coffee.
- Easy to Make: Despite their gourmet taste and appearance, these cookies are surprisingly straightforward to prepare. Even novice bakers will find success with the clear, step-by-step instructions.
Iced Maple Sugar Cookies: A Modern Classic
This recipe doesn’t just make a sugar cookie; it elevates our beloved sugar cookie into something truly extraordinary. The thoughtful combination of sweet maple syrup and the foundational, melt-in-your-mouth vanilla flavor from the sugar cookie base creates a taste experience that is genuinely irresistible. Maple syrup isn’t just an add-in here; it’s a star ingredient that adds depth and warmth that granulated sugar alone cannot provide. The maple syrup icing further amplifies this rich maple goodness, intensifying the flavor and enhancing the overall texture and mouthfeel of the cookie. The result is a soft, chewy explosion of maple flavor that will have everyone reaching for more. Each cookie is a perfect balance of sweetness and that distinct, cozy maple aroma.
The Versatility of Soft Maple Cookies
These soft maple cookies are truly a year-round treat, though they undoubtedly make a magnificent addition to any holiday table. Imagine them gracing your Christmas platter, bringing a unique twist to a classic spread. Beyond festive celebrations, they are also perfect for a cookie exchange, where their distinctive flavor is sure to impress. Consider them for a bake sale, a thoughtful homemade seasonal gift for neighbors and friends, or simply as that sweet something you need to dip in your morning coffee or tea, or to enjoy alongside a cold glass of milk. Their inviting aroma alone is enough to brighten any day, making them a welcome presence in any home. If you appreciate the delightful warmth of these iced maple sugar cookies, you are sure to also love these other comforting treats: Funfetti Sugar Cookies, Old Fashioned Frosted Sour Cream Sugar Cookies, or these Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies. Each offers a unique spin on the beloved sugar cookie, ensuring there’s a perfect cookie for every palate.
Baking Up Maple Sugar Cookies: A Sensory Delight
These simple-to-follow instructions will have you basking in the sweet, comforting aroma of these maple sugar cookies as they bake in your oven. There’s truly nothing better than the scent of freshly baked cookies filling your home, especially when they are loaded with that warm, inviting maple flavor. It’s an aroma that evokes coziness and happiness, making the baking process almost as enjoyable as eating the finished product. This recipe focuses on creating a perfectly soft, chewy, and flavorful cookie base that stands out even before the icing is added.
Customizing Your Maple Cookie Masterpiece
If you are looking to serve these delicious cookies at a celebration or simply want to add your personal touch, feel free to modify them and make them uniquely your own. Think of them as a blank canvas awaiting your creative flair. You can easily jazz them up with a variety of additions: colorful sprinkles for a festive touch, rich chocolate chips for a classic pairing, tart cranberries for a burst of fruitiness, or plump raisins for added sweetness and texture. The possibilities are endless, allowing you to tailor these maple sugar cookies to any event, season, or personal preference. This adaptability makes them a fantastic recipe to keep in your baking repertoire for all occasions.
Essential Ingredients for Iced Maple Sugar Cookies
Crafting these delightful iced maple sugar cookies requires a handful of common pantry staples, alongside that star ingredient: pure maple syrup. For a complete list of precise measurements and detailed instructions, please scroll to the bottom of this post for the full printable recipe card. Here’s a breakdown of the key ingredients and their roles in achieving cookie perfection:
Cookie Ingredients:
- Shortening: Essential for achieving that classic soft and tender cookie texture. Shortening helps to prevent excessive spreading and contributes to a wonderfully chewy interior.
- Butter: Whether salted or unsalted, ensure your butter is softened to room temperature. Butter adds rich flavor and helps with the creaming process, creating a lighter, fluffier dough.
- Sugar: A thoughtful combination of brown sugar and white granulated sugar is used to create these perfectly fluffy cookies. Brown sugar adds moisture and a subtle caramel note, while white sugar contributes to crisp edges and overall sweetness.
- Maple Syrup: The hero ingredient! Pure maple syrup is crucial for imparting that deep, authentic, and utterly decadent maple flavor that defines these cookies. Do not substitute with imitation syrup.
- Cream of Tartar: This often-overlooked ingredient plays a vital role in preventing sugar crystallization, ensuring a smooth texture. It also interacts with baking soda to give the cookies their characteristic chewiness and slight lift.
- Baking Soda: A touch of baking soda is included to help the cookies rise beautifully, contributing to their soft interior.
- Salt: A pinch of salt is vital for balancing the sweetness and enhancing all the other flavors in the cookie, making them pop.
- Egg Yolks: Just the egg yolks are used in this recipe, which adds richness, tenderness, and a beautiful golden hue to the cookies without making them too cake-like. Remember to save those egg whites for another culinary creation like an omelet or meringue!
- Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best, most aromatic flavor. It complements the maple perfectly and adds a warm undertone.
- All-Purpose Flour: White, unbleached all-purpose flour is ideal for these sugar cookies, providing the necessary structure without being too dense.
Maple Icing Ingredients:
- Milk: I opted for whole milk to create a richer, creamier icing. However, if you only have skim milk on hand, it will still work perfectly well, just with a slightly lighter consistency.
- Butter: Use either salted or unsalted butter, melted, to make this luscious maple cookie frosting. Butter adds a silky smoothness and a depth of flavor that complements the maple.
- Maple Syrup: More pure maple syrup is incorporated into the frosting, ensuring an intense, unmistakable maple flavor that truly makes these cookies shine. This dual application of maple ensures every bite is infused with its distinctive taste.
- Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar, this finely milled sugar is what gives the frosting its smooth, pourable, and slightly thickened texture. It dissolves beautifully to create a glaze without graininess.
How to Make Delicious Maple Cookies: A Step-by-Step Guide
These incredibly flavorful cookies come together remarkably quickly and easily, making them a perfect baking project for any day. Follow these simple steps for perfect results:
- **Prepare Your Oven:** Begin by preheating your oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). A consistent oven temperature is key for even baking.
- **Cream Fats:** In a large mixing bowl, using either a hand mixer or the bowl of your electric stand mixer, combine the softened butter and shortening. Beat them together until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined. This step incorporates air, contributing to the cookies’ soft texture.
- **Add Dry and Wet Sweeteners:** Introduce the dry ingredients: both brown and white granulated sugars, the pure maple syrup, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar to the creamed mixture. Beat for a full 2 minutes, ensuring everything is thoroughly incorporated. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure no dry spots are left behind.
- **Incorporate Eggs and Vanilla:** Next, beat in the egg yolks and vanilla extract until just combined. Avoid overmixing once the eggs are added.
- **Mix in Flour:** Gradually add the all-purpose flour to the mixture. Mix on low speed until the flour is just combined and no dry streaks remain. Overmixing the flour can lead to tough cookies, so stop as soon as it comes together.
- **Shape the Cookies:** Take the sugar cookie dough and shape it into uniform 1 ½-inch balls. Using a cookie scoop is highly recommended for consistent sizing, which ensures even baking.
- **Arrange on Baking Sheet:** Place the dough balls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Leave enough space between them for slight spreading.
- **Bake to Perfection:** Bake for 12-14 minutes. The cookies will still appear soft in the center, but their edges should be a delicate, light golden brown. It is crucial not to overbake, as this will result in a hard cookie rather than the desired soft and chewy maple delight.
- **Initial Cooling:** Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes. This brief resting period helps them set and makes them less fragile.
- **Transfer to Cooling Rack:** Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents the bottoms from becoming soggy and allows for proper airflow.
- **Prepare the Icing:** While the cookies are cooling, prepare the maple icing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, and pure maple syrup until smooth.
- **Achieve Desired Consistency:** Gradually whisk in the powdered sugar, a little at a time, until you achieve your desired drizzling consistency. For a thicker icing, add more powdered sugar; for a thinner glaze, add a tiny bit more milk or maple syrup.
- **Glaze the Cookies:** Once the cookies are completely cool, drizzle the sweet maple icing generously over them. You can use a spoon for a rustic look or a piping bag for more precision.
- **Allow Icing to Set:** Let the icing set completely before storing the cookies. This prevents them from sticking together and keeps the glaze intact.
Storage Tips for Freshness
To maintain their delicious soft and chewy texture, any leftover cookies should be stored properly. They will keep beautifully for up to one week in an airtight container at room temperature on your kitchen counter. For longer enjoyment, these cookies also freeze exceptionally well. Simply place them in a freezer-safe bag or container, separating layers with parchment paper if stacking, and they will stay fresh for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature when you’re ready to enjoy that sweet maple flavor again.
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If you absolutely adore this recipe for soft maple sugar cookies, make sure that you don’t lose it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go so you can easily find it whenever that maple craving strikes!
Frequently Asked Questions About Iced Maple Sugar Cookies
Here are answers to some common questions to help you master these delicious cookies:
- What is the best way to ice sugar cookies? For the neatest and most appealing finish, it is always best to wait until your sugar cookies are completely cooled before applying any icing. Once cooled, you can use a large spoon to gently dollop the icing onto the center of each cookie. Then, use an offset spatula or the back of the spoon to carefully spread the icing, ensuring it completely covers the cookie or achieves your desired drizzle pattern. For more intricate designs, a piping bag with a small round tip can be used.
- What type of icing is best for cookies? The best type of icing truly depends on your personal preference and whether you intend to decorate the cookies with intricate designs. This recipe uses a simple maple glaze, which is fantastic for its ease and intense maple flavor. Both buttercream icing and royal icing are also popular choices for cookies. Royal icing, made with egg whites or meringue powder, is often preferred for decorating as it dries shiny and hard, allowing for stacking and detailed work. Buttercream remains soft and creamy, offering a different textural experience.
- What does chilling sugar cookie dough do? Chilling sugar cookie dough is a crucial step for many recipes, though not explicitly called for in this one to achieve a softer, chewier cookie. When dough is chilled, the fats (butter, shortening) solidify, making the dough less sticky and easier to handle. More importantly, it prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, ensuring they retain their shape and thickness. Chilling also allows the flour to fully hydrate, resulting in a more tender and flavorful cookie. If you find your cookies are spreading too much, a 30-minute chill can help.
- How to jazz up sugar cookies? Sugar cookies are truly like a blank slate, offering endless possibilities for customization and creativity! To elevate these already delicious maple sugar cookies, consider adding various elements. You can incorporate chocolate chips, colorful sprinkles for a festive touch, or delicate coconut flakes for added texture and flavor. Beyond the simple drizzle, you could ice them completely with a thicker maple buttercream or even tint your maple glaze with food coloring for special occasions. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different extracts like a touch of almond or rum to complement the maple.
- Can I use maple sugar instead of maple syrup? While maple sugar is a fantastic ingredient, it behaves differently than maple syrup in baking. Maple sugar is essentially dehydrated maple syrup. If substituting, you would need to adjust the liquid content in the recipe to maintain the right dough consistency. For this recipe, stick to pure maple syrup for the distinct liquid maple infusion and correct moisture balance in the cookie and icing.
- How do I prevent my cookies from spreading too much? Ensuring your butter and shortening are at the correct softened temperature (not melted!), accurately measuring your flour, and chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes if you have time, can all help prevent excessive spreading. Also, make sure your baking soda and cream of tartar are fresh and active.
Smart Ingredient Substitutions for Your Baking Needs
Remember that when it comes to making substitutions in recipes, you don’t need to be afraid to get creative and use ingredients that suit your personal taste, dietary preferences, or what you simply have on hand. Baking is all about making it your own and enjoying the process!
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Shortening Alternative: If you don’t have any shortening on hand, you can always use an equal amount of butter instead. Keep in mind that using all butter might make the cookies spread slightly more and result in a slightly crisper texture, but they will still be delicious. Consider chilling the dough if you make this substitution.
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Dairy-Free Option: For a delightful non-dairy cookie, simply substitute the regular butter with a high-quality vegan butter alternative. For the icing, use your favorite plant-based milk (such as almond milk or oat milk) in place of whole milk.
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Gluten-Free Cookies: To easily make a gluten-free version of these delicious maple cookies, use a 1-to-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Ensure the blend you choose contains xanthan gum for optimal texture and structure, or add ½ teaspoon per cup of flour if it doesn’t. Many gluten-free flours perform very well in cookie recipes.
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Sugar Alternatives: While the recipe calls for specific sugars for optimum texture and flavor, for a slightly less refined option, you could experiment with coconut sugar in place of brown sugar in the cookie dough. This will alter the flavor slightly, adding a caramel note, but can work well. For the icing, powdered erythritol or another powdered sugar substitute could be used, though consistency might vary.
Expert Tips & Tricks for Perfect Iced Maple Sugar Cookies
Achieving bakery-quality cookies at home is easy with a few insider tips:
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Room Temperature Butter: Ensure your butter is properly softened but not melted. It should yield slightly to pressure from your finger. This allows it to cream smoothly with the sugar, incorporating air for a lighter cookie texture.
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Room Temperature Eggs: Take the egg yolks out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you begin to prepare the cookies. Room temperature egg yolks emulsify better with the other ingredients, creating a more uniform and consistent dough.
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Don’t Waste Egg Whites: Since this recipe only calls for egg yolks, don’t let those egg whites go to waste! Use them to make a quick omelet, a healthy scramble, or save them for a batch of light and airy meringue cookies or a pavlova.
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Quality Maple Syrup Matters: For the most authentic and robust maple flavor, always use good quality, pure maple syrup. Grade A Dark, Robust Taste (formerly Grade B) often offers a richer flavor profile which is fantastic in baking.
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Uniform Cookie Portions: For consistently sized cookies that bake up at the same pace, use a cookie scoop or a measuring tablespoon to portion out the dough. This ensures an even bake and a professional-looking batch of cookies.
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Amplify Maple Flavor: For an even more intense maple flavor experience, consider adding a touch of maple extract (about ¼ to ½ teaspoon) along with the vanilla extract in the cookie dough. This boosts the maple notes beautifully.
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Seasonal Spices: To add a comforting, seasonal warmth, incorporate some warm spices into your cookie dough. A pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice (or a combination of all three!) can complement the maple flavor wonderfully, making these cookies perfect for fall and winter. For example, ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon spice would be an excellent addition.
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Don’t Overmix Flour: Once you add the flour, mix until just combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can lead to tough, dense cookies instead of the desired soft and chewy texture.
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Parchment Paper or Silicone Mats: While the recipe states an ungreased baking sheet, using parchment paper or silicone baking mats can make cleanup easier and further prevent sticking, ensuring your cookies slide off perfectly every time.
This recipe is proudly part of The Sweetest Season, an annual virtual cookie swap co-hosted by Erin of The Speckled Palate and Susannah of Feast + West. Every year, food bloggers come together to share new holiday cookie recipes to make and give, spreading joy and deliciousness!
This year, we are once again passionately raising money for Cookies 4 Kids’ Cancer, which is a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for new, innovative, and less-toxic treatments for childhood cancer. It’s a cause very close to our hearts, and every contribution makes a significant difference.
Since 2008, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer has granted nearly $18 million to pediatric cancer research in the form of over 100 research grants to leading pediatric cancer centers across the country. From these crucial grants have stemmed more than 35 treatments currently available to kids battling cancer today, offering hope and healing.
Help us raise money for this incredibly important cause and make a difference in the lives of children! Donate directly through our dedicated fundraising page.
Adding to the excitement, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is currently in a matching window with their generous friends at OXO. This means OXO will be matching every dollar raised through the end of 2023, up to an incredible $100,000! Whatever money we raise will automatically double on our fundraising page, maximizing the impact of your generosity. Your donation today will go twice as far!
More Delicious Cookie Recipes to Love
If you’re a cookie enthusiast like us, you’re always looking for new flavors to try. Here are a few more beloved recipes that are sure to delight your palate, perfect for expanding your baking repertoire or simply finding another favorite treat:
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Frosted Soft Pumpkin Cookies (pictured above): A taste of autumn in every bite, these soft, spiced pumpkin cookies with a sweet frosting are pure comfort.
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Snickerdoodle Thumbprint Cookies: Combining the classic cinnamon-sugar crunch of snickerdoodles with a sweet, jammy center, these are as fun to make as they are to eat.
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Chewy Glazed Lemon Cookies: Bright, zesty, and irresistibly chewy, these lemon cookies with a tangy glaze are a refreshing treat for any occasion.
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Bailey’s Chocolate Chip Cookies: A sophisticated twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie, infused with the creamy, rich flavor of Bailey’s Irish Cream for an adult indulgence.
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Cornflake Crispy Cookies: For those who love a bit of crunch, these unique cookies offer a delightful crispy texture from cornflakes, perfectly balanced with sweet and chewy goodness.
If you’ve got a list of holiday baking recipes or simply crave a comforting homemade treat, these perfect maple cookies will make a truly wonderful addition. With their unbeatable flavor and delightful texture, they are bound to become a cherished family tradition for years to come. Enjoy the magic of maple in every soft, sweet bite!
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Print Recipe
Iced Maple Sugar Cookies
Equipment
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Whisks for Cooking, 3 Pack Stainless Steel Whisk
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Kitchenaid Stand Mixer
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KitchenAid Hand Mixer
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Wilton Stainless Steel Cookie Scoop
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Wilton Performance Pans Aluminum Jelly Roll and Cookie Pan, 10.5 x 15.5-Inch
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15 x 10 x 1-Inch Cookie/Jelly Roll Pan
Ingredients
- FOR THE COOKIE:
- ½ cup shortening
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 3 egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- FOR THE ICING:
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
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In the bowl of your mixer beat butter and shortening together until fluffy.
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Add in both sugars, maple syrup, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar and beat for 2 minutes, scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
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Beat in egg yolks and vanilla.
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Mix in flour until combined.
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Shape the dough into 1 ½” balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
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Bake for 12-14 minutes. Cookies will still look soft but the edges will be light golden brown. (Don’t overbake or the cookies will not be soft)
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Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Make the icing by whisking together milk, butter, and maple syrup. Whisk the powdered sugar in a little at a time until you reach your desired drizzling consistency.
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Drizzle maple icing over the cookies. Let the icing set before storing them in an airtight container.
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