Maple Creme Sandwich Cookies

On a recent trip to Nova Scotia, we enjoyed maple creme sandwich cookies. Since coming home, I am still craving the flavor of these delicious cookies. An on-line search found this recipe from McCormick's. The aroma when these cookies are baking is amazing! 

I found small (about one inch) maple leaf shaped cookie cutters at Michaels. They were perfect for making these cookies, although you could use a 1 - 1.5 inch round cookie cutter as well.

Ingredients

For the Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 egg

1 Tablespoon maple favoring extract

2 3/4 cups flour

For the Maple Creme Filling

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

2 tsp. maple flavoring extract

1 box (16 ounces) powdered sugar

1 - 2 Tablespoons milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For the cookies, beat butter, brown sugar and salt in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg and maple flavoring. Mix well. Gradually beat in flour on low speed until well mixed.

Roll out a portion of the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Chill remaining dough in refrigerator until needed. Cut out with cookie cutter.

Bake for 8 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet for one minutes and transfer to wire rack. Cool completely.

Repeat for all remaining dough.

For the maple creme filling, beat butter and maple flavoring until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioner's sugar, beating well and scraping down sides of bowl. Add milk, one tsp at a time, until desired consistency.

Place about 1 teaspoon of creme filling on the flat side of a cookie. Top with a second cookie, pressing down gently to spread the filling.

Repeat with remaining cookies and filling.