Ingredients
- 115g unsalted butter, softened
- 120ml Quebec amber maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 250g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp pure Quebec maple sugar
Method
- Cream the butter and maple syrup together, then beat in the egg until light.
- Stir in the flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda to form a soft, cohesive dough.
- Combine the cinnamon and pure maple sugar in a small bowl, roll dough into balls, and coat them in the mixture.
- Bake on a lined sheet at 165°C (325°F) for 10 minutes until they puff up and crackle.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 150g white sugar for dough and 2 tbsp sugar for coating
Conversion used: Swapped white sugar in dough for 120ml maple syrup, replaced coating sugar with 100% pure granulated maple sugar, and reduced baking temp by 15°C.
Why Quebec maple syrup: This traditional bake gets a local terroir upgrade; maple's natural acidity works beautifully with the classic cream of tartar tang.
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 →