Instructions: 1. BEAT butter in a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, baking powder, and salt; beat till comhined. Beat in egg, maple syrup, and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon.

2. DlVlDE dough into thirds. Leave one portion plain. Knead orange paste food coloring into another portion. Knead red paste food coloring into remaining portion. Chill dough for 1 hour or till easy to handle.

3. ROLL about a third of each color dough into I0-inch ropes on a lightly floured surface. Twist ropes together; fold in crosswise and flatten slightly. Roll 1/8 inch thick (keep remaining dough refrigerated). Cut with leaf-shape cookie cutters . Place cutouts 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheets. Score veins with a table knife or skewer. Gently gather and reroll scraps. Repeat with remaining dough.

4. BAKE in a 375 degree oven 7 to 9 minutes or till edges begin to brown.

Cool on wire racks.

NOTES : Be sure to use paste food coloring. Liquid coloring softens the dough so its hard to handle and cutouts lose there shape.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.