• In a large mixing bowl cream together the softened butter and sugar until fluffy.
• Next, add the Amish starter, egg, vanilla extract, and maple syrup, and mix until everything is combined.
• In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until a dough forms.
• Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour (you can refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours.

  TIP: If you would like to roll the dough out and use cookie cutters you can separate the dough into 2 even balls, create a disc shape, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it into the refrigerator.

Shape & bake the Amish friendship maple sugar cookies

• Once the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• I like to weigh each cookie to ensure they’re exactly 60 grams, but you can also use a large cookie scoop—about 2 ounces—to portion them out evenly.

  Pro tip: Gently roll each dough portion by hand to create perfectly round cookies.
• Align about 6-8 cookies on your baking sheet (making sure they are spaced about 2 inches apart) and bake for 15 minutes. If making smaller cookies, adjust the time accordingly (they may only need 8-10 minutes).
• Remove the cookies from the oven and firmly tap the tray on the counter to create those signature bakery-style cracks. This step is optional, but it adds a beautiful finish to the cookies.
• Place the cookies back in the oven for 3-5 more minutes to ensure they are done baking. Every oven is different, so yours might only need the initial 15 minutes.
• Upon removing them from the oven let them rest on the pan for 5 minutes before placing on a cooling rack.

Make the maple glaze

• Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before glazing them or it will fall right off.
• To make the glaze, sift the powdered sugar into a mixing bowl. Next, add the maple syrup and whisk together until combined.
• If the glaze is too thick add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time to achieve the desired consistency.
• To effortlessly glaze the cookies, simply place them face down in the glaze and allow any excess glaze to fall off before placing them on parchment paper to dry a bit.
• Optional: dust with some cinnamon if desired.
• These cookies will keep for 5–7 days at room temperature in an airtight container. To prevent them from sticking, place a sheet of parchment paper between each layer.