Maple Cinnamon Cookies

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on high speed for about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The mixture should be airy and fluffy and slightly lighter in color.

Crack the eggs into a liquid measuring cup. With the mixer on low, slowly add eggs to the bowl one egg at a time, allow each egg to blend in completely before adding the next. Blend in the maple extract, followed by the almond extract. *hint, the mixture may slightly curdle when you add the almond extract. Don't worry, it will recede once the dry ingredients are mixed in.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until a smooth consistency is achieved. The dough will be soft and sticky at this point.

Divide the dough into three equal disks and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Chill the dough in refrigerator for at least an hour up to overnight. This allows the dough to develop and firm up so it's easier to to roll out.

Maple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

While the dough chills, prepare the frosting.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, cream cheese, maple syrup and maple extract until completely smooth.

With the mixer on a low stir, slowly add in sifted powdered sugar, cinnamon and salt and blend until smooth. Use 3 ½ cups for a more tangy cream cheese frosting and 4 cups for a sweeter and stiffer cream cheese frosting. Place the frosting in refrigerator until ready to use.

Bake The Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Remove dough from refrigerator and allow it to soften for a few minutes. Be sure to have cookie cutters and a rolling pin available.

For large cookies, use a 4" round cookie cutter or 3" round for medium cookies.

On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out one of the dough disks into ¼" thickness.

Cut the rolled dough with cookie cutters, place cookies closely on a lined baking sheets. Gather the scraps and re-roll and cut dough. Repeat with remaining dough disks. Place the baking sheet of cut cookies in the refrigerator or freezer to firm up for at least 15-30 minutes while the oven preheats. Pro Tip: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cut cookies closely on the baking sheet to chill. Once you've made a single layer across the bottom sheet, add another sheet of parchment on top of the cookies. Then carefully stack more cookies on top. You can build up 3-4 layers high here. Then you only need the footprint of 1 baking sheet in your fridge or freezer for chilling the dough!

At this stage you can freeze the cut cookies solid on the baking sheets. Then transfer to a tight sealing baggie and store in the freezer up to two months. 

To bake, place 6 large chilled cookies on a lined baking sheet, at least 1" apart. Bake for 12-16 minutes, depending on size, until the edges start to brown slightly. Remove from oven and cool on cookie racks.

Frost The Cookies

Once the cookies have completely cooled, frost them liberally. First, add a dollop of frosting to the cookies, then use a small offset spatula to spread the frosting and create the signature swoop. Optionally sprinkle with a dusting of cinnamon.