Ingredients
- 240 g all-purpose flour
- 5 g baking soda
- 3 g ground ginger
- 3 g ground cinnamon
- 1 g ground cloves
- 3 g salt
- 180 ml Québec maple syrup
- 120 ml unsulphured molasses
- 100 g melted butter
- 1 egg
- 120 ml hot water
Method
- Heat the oven to 165 °C and line a 20 cm square pan.
- Whisk the maple syrup, molasses, melted butter, egg, and hot water.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt until evenly blended.
- Pour into the pan and bake for 35–40 minutes, until the center is set.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 150 g brown sugar plus 120 ml molasses
Conversion used: Replace the 150 g brown sugar with 180 ml maple syrup, retain the traditional molasses, reduce the classic 180 ml hot water to 120 ml, and bake at 165 °C.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Maple softens molasses' intensity while adding a rounded, woodsy sweetness. The pairing is especially natural for a Québec-style interpretation of traditional gingerbread.
General rule: 1 cup (250 ml) sugar ≈ 3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup; reduce liquids by 45–60 ml per cup of syrup and lower oven by 15 °C. Substitution calculator →