During September, October and November, trees in many parts of the country are in the middle of a spectacular performance, showing off their fall spectrum of colors. These maple-frosted cookies are a tasty way to enjoy nature's multihued display, no matter what part of the country you and your family call home.

Ingredients

• Sugar Cookie Dough Recipe
• 1 1/4 cups of confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

• 2 to 4 tablespoons of maple syrup
• Food coloring

Instructions

1. Use a leaf-shaped cookie cutter to create a batch of leaf cookies from your favorite sugar cookie recipe or store-bought cookie dough. Tip: If you don't have a leaf-shaped cookie cutter, copy and cut out the large leaf cookie pictured above and use it as a cutting template.

2. Bake the cookies according to the recipe directions and allow them to cool.

3. To make the frosting, combine 1 1/4 cups of confectioners' sugar with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract in a medium-size bowl. Whisk in 2 to 4 tablespoons of maple syrup, a little at a time, until the mixture reaches a spreadable consistency.

4. Divide the frosting among 3 small bowls or coffee mugs. Stir in food coloring (1 or 2 drops at a time) to tint one batch red, another one yellow, and the last one orange.

5. Spread the colored frosting on the cookies, then let the frosting set before enjoying them. This recipe makes 1 1/2 cups of maple-flavored frosting.

You might also like:

Find more about:

• Autumn |
• Holiday & Seasonal Cookies |
• Whole Eggs

Related Categories:

• Fall Desserts |
• Holiday & Seasonal Cookies