Ingredients
- 115g unsalted butter, softened
- 180ml pure Quebec maple syrup (dark)
- 350g all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
Method
- Beat butter and dark maple syrup until fully emulsified.
- Whisk flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and cloves together, then incorporate into the butter mixture.
- Wrap and chill the firm dough for at least 30 minutes.
- Roll out to 5mm thickness on a floured surface and cut into shapes.
- Bake at 165°C (325°F) for 8-10 minutes until edges are set.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 150g brown sugar and 100g molasses
Conversion used: Replaced both sugars and molasses with 180ml dark maple syrup. Adjusted flour up by 30g to maintain dough stiffness for cutting. Lowered oven to 165°C.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Dark maple syrup acts as a clean, eco-friendly substitute for molasses, offering a lighter, woodier spice profile with localized Laurentian forest notes.
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 →