Maple Lovers Rejoice!
These gluten-free maple cream sandwich cookies combine rich, buttery, maple-flavored shortbread with a sweet, creamy maple-flavored filling to make the perfect sandwich cookie.
I created this recipe at the request of members of my gluten-free baking group on Facebook. I have a lot of people from Canada and New England in the group, and the original gluten-filled version of this cookie is popular in both of those places.
These cookies will work well with any good 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that you can buy in the store, or you can make your own using one of my copycat recipes.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 250 grams 1:1 gluten-free flour blend
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or coarse salt)
- 168 grams unsalted butter (or plant butter)
- 112 grams granulated sugar (or maple sugar)
- 1 large egg (50 grams, out of shell)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
Filling
- 14 grams unsalted butter (1 tbsp) (or plant butter)
- 85 grams confectioners' sugar
- 25 grams pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon maple extract
- 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
Cookies
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Have all ingredients at room temperature before you start.
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Whisk together the flour and salt; set aside.
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Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, and beat until light in color. Add the egg, vanilla and maple extract; beat to combine.
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Put the mixer on low speed, and gradually add your flour mixture. Beat until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour.
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
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When ready to roll the dough, dust the counter and surface of the dough lightly with flour or confectioners' sugar. Roll the dough to ⅛-inch thick. Move the dough around, and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking.
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The dough is extremely forgiving. You can piece together scraps of dough to re-roll it numerous times without compromising the quality. If dough has warmed too much during rolling, place a cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill or place it back in the fridge for a few minutes.
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Cut into desired shape, and place at least one-inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
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Bake for seven to nine minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating the cookie sheet halfway through the baking time. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for two minutes after removing from the oven, then move to cool completely on a wire rack.
Filling
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Mix together butter, confectioners' sugar, maple syrup, vanilla and maple extract, stirring until smooth. If the filling isn't spreadable, add some water, a little at a time, to soften the texture.
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Spread half of the cookies with filling. I actually like to put the filling in a pastry bag, then pipe it onto the cookies. Twelve grams is a good amount for each. Then top with the remaining unfrosted cookies.
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Store the cookies, well wrapped at room temperature for several days, or freeze for longer storage.