Method (cookies)

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Sift in the flour, maple syrup and ground spices and mix into a thick dough. You can do this by hand or using a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Transfer the dough into plastic wrap or baking paper and chill in the fridge for at least 40 minutes -1 hour to firm up.
2. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 170°C fan and line a baking tray with grease proof paper.
3. Once the dough is chilled and firm to the touch, roll out to approximately ½ cm thickness on a heavily floured work surface (this prevents the dough from sticking). Use a maple leaf cookie cutter to chomp out the shapes. Use a sharp knife to add the maple leaf details. Place the shapes on the lined baking tray.
4. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown at the edges. You can even turn the tray half way through to ensure an even baking. Don’t over-bake or the cookies may become quite crisp.
5. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool slightly on the tray before transferring to a wire rack. Repeat until all the cookies are baked.
6. Optional: Coat the cookies in some caster sugar (refer to video for example).

Method (cream filling)

1. In a stand mixer fitted with balloon whisk attachment, add in the softened butter and whip until pale and fluffy. You can also do this in a bowl with an electric hand whisk or spatula. Add in the maple syrup, icing sugar and vanilla. Mix until light and fluffy. Add in a splash of milk to get it to a thick, pipe-able consistency. 
2. Transfer the cream into a piping bag fitted with a medium sized round tip nozzle or snip off the tip.
3. Pipe buttercream evenly onto half of the cookies, and top each frosted cookie with the remaining cookies to sandwich.
4. Serve and enjoy!