Maple Shortbread

Ingredients

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour*
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, soft
3 tablespoons, well packed Dixie Crystals Light Brown Sugar or Dixie Crystals Dark Brown Sugar
2/3 cup Dixie Crystals Confectioners Powdered Sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons maple extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.

Sift or whisk flour and set aside.
Mix butter, brown sugar, powdered sugar, salt, and extracts until well combined and lump free but not until light and fluffy.
Add flour and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
Press or roll dough onto parchment paper or plastic food wrap into same size as a sheet of copy paper (11-inch x 8.5 inch).
Place dough in freezer for 30 minutes or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F.
Dough can be cut using a maple leaf cutter; however, due to thickness of dough it can stubbornly stick into sharp edges of cutter. Far easier, cut into desired size rectangles.
Place cut out cookies on a parchment lined or lightly buttered cookie sheet about 1/2 inch apart.
Using back of a knife, press indentions into surface of cookies.
Once cookie dough is at room temperature place in oven and bake until edges of shortbreads turn a pale golden, about 14-16 minutes.