I’ve never been particularly skilled at drawing. Even as a kid, my artistic ambitions far exceeded my actual abilities. But give me some cookie dough, a rolling pin and a few clever tools, and suddenly I’m creating edible art.
These Autumn Maple Shortbread Sandwich Cookies start with one batch of my favourite maple shortbread dough. I was inspired by Kat at The Loopy Whisk who uses a brilliant marbling technique to create beautiful cookies. I borrowed her technique, adding a little cinnamon and cocoa to my dough, then rolling and folding it into beautifully marbled autumn leaves. A maple leaf cutter and embosser do the artistic heavy lifting. I just get to take the credit.
If you’re Canadian, you know the iconic maple crème sandwich cookies. Those maple-leaf-shaped cookies with the sweet maple filling are practically a national institution. Consider these their slightly more sophisticated cousins. Buttery maple shortbread, beautifully marbled autumn leaves and a silky maple Italian meringue buttercream with a deeper, more pronounced maple flavour. Same nostalgic idea, just dressed up for a special occasion.
These cookies are a bit of a project. If you’re someone who loves a good cookie project, you’re going to have a wonderful time. If you’re looking for a one-bowl, stir-and-scoop situation, feel free to admire the pretty pictures and move on. No hard feelings.
That said, there are ways to simplify things. The maple shortbread cookies are delicious all on their own, so you can skip the filling entirely. Or, instead of making the maple Italian meringue buttercream, try this simpler American maple buttercream (It’s a little sweeter and doesn’t have quite the same depth of maple flavour, but it’s still absolutely delicious.
Keys to success in making Autumn Maple Shortbread Sandwich Cookies
- Don’t overdo the marbling. The goal is to create distinct swirls and patches of colour, not blend everything into one uniform shade. A little rolling and folding goes a long way. Use gentle, even pressure when rolling to avoid muddying the colours or distorting the pattern. Stop while you can still see the individual colours.
- Chill the dough before cutting. Chilling helps the dough hold its shape and gives you cleaner edges. But don’t let it get rock hard. If the dough cracks when you try to cut out the leaves, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes until it’s slightly more pliable.
- Give your embosser a little sugar dip. Dip the embossing tool into granulated sugar before pressing it into each cookie. This prevents sticking and helps create those beautiful, sharply defined veins.
- Chill the cookies before baking. Once the leaves are cut and embossed, pop them back into the fridge. Cold dough helps the cookies hold their shape and preserves all that lovely detail in the oven.
- Butter temperature matters for the buttercream. Ideally, your butter should be around 70°F (21°C)—soft but not greasy. If it’s too cold, the buttercream may look curdled or grainy. Don’t panic! It’s just a temporary emulsion issue, not a ruined buttercream. Keep whipping, and it should smooth out as the mixture warms slightly. If it remains curdled, gently warm the outside of the mixing bowl and continue whipping. If the buttercream becomes soupy instead, it’s likely too warm. Chill it briefly, then whip again.
Autumn Maple Shortbread Sandwich Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachments
- candy thermometer or instant read digital thermometer
Ingredients
Maple Shortbread Cookies
- 340 grams unsalted butter, softened slightly
- 120 grams granulated sugar
- 80 grams maple sugar
- 490 grams all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, or 1/8 teaspoon Morton's Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- granulated sugar, as needed, for dipping the embosser
Italian Meringue Maple Buttercream
- 200 grams maple syrup
- 85 grams egg whites
- 1/8 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
- 170 grams unsalted butter, softened to 65°F, cut into 1 inch cubes,
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Instructions
Make shortbread dough
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar and maple sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla.
- Whisk together flour and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix just until incorporated. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for about 1 minute.
- Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Leave 2 portions plain. Knead cinnamon into the third portion and cocoa powder into the fourth, until each is evenly coloured.
Create the marbled dough
- Line your work surface with parchment paper. Tear small pieces from each of the three dough colours and arrange them randomly into a large rectangle, distributing the colours throughout.
- Cover with a second sheet of parchment and roll gently a few times to press the pieces together. Remove the top parchment and fold the dough into thirds, like a letter. If needed, fold once more to distribute the colours, but don’t overwork the dough or the colours will blend together. You want distinct patches of plain, cinnamon and cocoa dough.Cover again with parchment and roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness. Refrigerate for about 5 minutes, until slightly firm.
Cut and bake the cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
- Peel off the top sheet of parchment, replace it loosely, then flip the dough over and remove the second sheet. Cut out maple leaves and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets with a wide metal spatula, spacing them 1 inch apart.
- Gather scraps and gently press them together without kneading. Re-roll and cut additional cookies, taking care to preserve the marbling.
- Dip the leaf embosser in granulated sugar to prevent sticking, then gently press it into each cookie to imprint the vein pattern. Chill cookies in fridge for 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake one sheet at a time for about 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the edges and bottoms are lightly golden.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make Italian Meringue Maple Buttercream
- Bring maple syrup to a boil in a 3-quart stainless steel saucepan over high heat, about 3 minutes. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot, making sure bulb does not hit bottom of pot. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking.
- When the syrup reaches 230°F, begin whipping the egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed. The whites should become light and foamy, not stiff.
- Continue cooking the maple syrup until it reaches 240–250°F, adjusting the heat as needed. Use a heat-resistant spatula to gently knock down the foam if necessary.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. With the mixer running, slowly pour the hot syrup down the inside of the bowl in a steady stream, taking care to avoid the moving whisk.
- Increase speed and whip until the meringue is thick, glossy and cooled to 85–90°F, about 4 minutes.
- Switch to the paddle attachment. Add salt, then butter in roughly 2-tablespoon increments, waiting a few seconds between additions. The meringue will deflate as the butter is incorporated. This is normal.
- Reduce speed to medium-low and mix in vanilla. Scrape down the bowl and paddle, then beat briefly until smooth and creamy.
Fill sandwich cookies
- Fit a piping bag with a 1/4 inch open star tip.Turn half the cookies over. Pipe buttercream onto the flat side of each cookie, leaving a small border around the edge. Top with the remaining cookies, vein-side up, pressing gently to sandwich.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. Bring refrigerated cookies to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
There’s something incredibly satisfying about starting with one batch of dough and ending up with cookies that look like little works of art. No two leaves are quite alike, and that’s part of their charm. Yes, they take a little time and patience, but if you enjoy the creative side of baking as much as I do, I think you’ll love making these.
