These cookies are the best! Anyone who has tried these cookies knows that I’m not exaggerating. They just melt in your mouth, and the combination of soft sugar cookie with maple frosting is heavenly. Growing up, my grandma always made these cookies, and it was one of the first cookie recipes I remember trying to make on my own when I was young. She always puts a pecan half on top of each one and they look so pretty! I didn’t have pecans on hand, so I just made plain ones this time. Keep reading for my Mennonite family recipe for old-fashioned sugar cookies with maple frosting.
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla (this gourmet Neilsen-Massey one is amazing)
4 1⁄2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1⁄2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1⁄4 cup milk
2 tbsp. maple syrup (be sure to use the real stuff!)
About 2 cups powdered sugar
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Mix sugar, shortening and eggs until creamy.
3. Add vanilla and buttermilk and mix until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and baking powder, then add to buttermilk mixture and beat until smooth.
5. Using a one-tablespoon cookie scoop, place cookie scoops on parchment-lined baking sheets (these pre-cut parchment sheets are the best!). I forgot to use parchment this time and they do stick to the pan a bit if you don’t use parchment.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375°F. It’s important not to overbake them, as they can quickly go from soft and chewy to crunchy and dried out. If the bottoms of the cookies have started to brown, you’ve probably baked them too long.
7. After removing from oven let cookies cool on baking sheet for a couple of minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.
To Make the Frosting:
8. To make the frosting, heat butter until melted, then stir in brown sugar.
9. Heat to boiling then reduce heat to med/low and continue to boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
10. Stir in milk and maple syrup, and heat to boiling again, stirring constantly. Remove from heat immediately. Set aside and cool to lukewarm. Do not let the mixture cool completely, or your frosting won’t be as smooth.
11. Once cooled to lukewarm, gradually add powdered sugar whisking after each addition. Add just enough so that the frosting is a spreadable consistency and immediately frost the cooled cookies. If the frosting starts to dry out and get a little bit too thick, add one teaspoon of milk at a time, mixing after each addition until the frosting returns to the desired consistency.
Lastly, enjoy your old-fashioned sugar cookies with maple frosting while you can! I promise they won’t stick around long!
Can I freeze the dough to make partial batches? Does the dough freeze well?
I’ve actually never tried to freeze the dough before, I’m sorry I wish I could be more helpful! I’ve frozen them with the frosting and they are still really good
Can i substitute something else for the shortening possibly?
I think softened butter would probably work just as well, but I haven’t actually tried it yet.
I followed the recipe perfectly. My cookies only needed about 8 minutes and they didn’t come out looking as flat as yours. Any suggestions?
My guess would be possibly a little bit too much flour. I weigh mine using a kitchen scale (1 cup = 120 grams) to prevent accidentally overpacking the measuring cup when measuring out the flour. I hope that helps!!
-Jen