Ingredients
- 170 g unsalted butter, softened
- 90 ml Québec maple syrup
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g finely ground almonds
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 120 g unsweetened raspberry preserves
Method
- Beat butter with maple syrup, egg yolk, and vanilla; mix in flour, almonds, cinnamon, and salt.
- Flatten the dough, wrap it, and chill for 30 minutes; heat the oven to 160 °C.
- Roll the dough 3 mm thick, cut 48 rounds, and cut a small center from half of them.
- Bake on lined trays for 10–12 minutes, then cool completely.
- Spread preserves on the solid cookies, top with the cut-out cookies, and serve.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 100 g granulated sugar
Conversion used: Replace 100 g sugar with 90 ml maple syrup; add 20 g flour to offset the syrup and chill the dough thoroughly. Bake at 160 °C instead of 175 °C.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Maple complements the almond, cinnamon, and raspberry traditionally found in Linzer cookies. The syrup reduces reliance on refined sugar while preserving the tender sandwich texture.
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 →