Best Maple Stars Recipes

MAPLE-GLAZED YAM STARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place each yam on its side and slice crosswise into 1/2-inch rounds.
• Using a 3-inch star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out a star shape from each round. Discard the scraps.
• Place the stars in the baking dish. Pour the orange juice and syrup over the top, and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, until yams are soft to the touch of a fork, then remove the foil and bake for approximately 30 more minutes, or until yams start to become candied. Keep a watchful eye on stars and remove early if the pan juices reduce to the point of burning. To avoid any breakage, serve directly from the baking dish with a spatula.

MAPLE STARS

Steps:

• Make the cookies: Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and maple sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla; beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low; add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap; shape into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Divide the dough into thirds. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll out the dough on a floured surface until 1/8 inch thick. Cut out stars with a 2-inch cutter; arrange 1 inch apart on 2 ungreased baking sheets and sprinkle with gold sugar. Refrigerate the cutouts 15 minutes.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are set and lightly browned on the bottoms, 13 to 16 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.
• Make the filling: Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth. Let cool. Stir in the butter with a rubber spatula, then stir in the confectioners¿ sugar, maple extract and lemon juice until smooth. Sandwich between the cookies.

MAPLE STARS

Steps:

• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and maple extract. Beat in flour mixture until just blended. Divide dough in half. Flatten each half into disk; wrap disks separately in plastic and chill until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out 1 dough disk on lightly floured work surface to 11-inch round, about 1/3 inch thick. Using 2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter dipped into flour, cut out cookies from dough. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Reroll dough scraps on lightly floured surface and cut out additional cookies. Repeat with remaining dough disk.
• Bake cookies until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to racks and cool completely.
• Stir powdered sugar and milk in medium bowl until smooth (icing will be thick). Using small offset spatula or butter knife, spread icing over top of 1 cookie, then sprinkle top with sugar crystals. Repeat with remaining cookies, icing, and sugar crystals. Let cookies stand at room temperature until icing is dry and firm, at least 1 hour. (Can be made ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.)
• *Bright white sparkling sugar crystals are available at some supermarkets, cake and candy supply stores, and online at lacuisineus.com.