Instructions: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together butter and granulated sugar. Add 1/2 cup maple syrup and egg yolk; mix until well combined. Sift together flour and salt over mixture, and mix in thoroughly. Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic, and chill until firm, about 2 hours.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup maple syrup and confectioners sugar until smooth, adding more maple syrup for piping consistency, if necessary. Cover tightly with plastic and set aside.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 4 baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats). Set pans aside.

Remove half of the dough from refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to an 1/8-inch thickness. Using a leaf-shaped cookie cutter 4 to 5 inches in size, cut out cookies, and transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 1/2 inch apart. Chill any trimmings, and roll out again. Repeat process with remaining half of dough. If desired, use the back of a paring knife to score veins on leaves.

Bake cookies until light golden around edges, about 12 minutes. Transfer baking pans to a wire rack for 5 minutes. Using a spatula, remove cookies from pans to a wire rack to cool.

Using a small spatula spread a small amount of the reserved maple mixture onto the cooled cookies, or pipe maple mixture in desired manner.

This recipe yields about 40 cookies.

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