Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies (Printer-Friendly Version)

Soft pumpkin spice cookies enhanced with sweet maple icing, capturing autumn’s cozy flavors in every bite.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies

01 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
04 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
06 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
08 - 1/8 teaspoon salt

→ Maple Royal Icing

09 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
10 - 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
11 - 1 to 2 teaspoons milk, any kind

# Steps to Follow:

01 - In a medium bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until creamy.
02 - Add egg yolk and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat until fully incorporated.
03 - Sift flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt over the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until dough forms with no visible flour streaks; avoid overmixing.
04 - Shape dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
05 - Preheat oven to 350°F and position rack in the middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
06 - Lightly flour work surface and roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut shapes with cookie cutter, spacing cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Re-roll scraps no more than twice.
07 - Refrigerate cut cookies while baking the first sheet. If dough warms too much during rolling or cutting, chill both baking sheets for 10 minutes before baking.
08 - Bake cookies for 10 minutes until edges are lightly golden. For crisper texture, extend baking by 2–3 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar and maple syrup until sugar is moistened. Add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved for decorating.
10 - Once cookies are fully cooled, apply maple royal icing as desired for decoration.

# Additional Tips:

01 - For best results, refrigerate cut cookies before baking to prevent spreading.
02 - Bake one sheet at a time to achieve even baking.
03 - Cookie dough and baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months.
04 - Thicker rolled dough produces softer cookies; thinner dough yields crisper results.

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