Dark maple syrup, with its rich color and deep sweetness stands up well to the assertive spice of ginger. That blend of complex sweetness and assertive spice makes this maple gingerbread men a particularly nice cookie to serve for Christmas cookie swaps and yuletide parties. It's something you can tuck into tins and give to friends, or set on a plate for Santa's visit.
Which kind of maple?
Maple is a natural pairing for ginger. Its rich flavor and subtle woodsy notes marry beautifully with the fiery, assertive flavor of ginger. It can also stand up well to another traditional gingerbread flavor: molasses.
Real maple syrup is classified by color which ranges from a light golden to a very deep, dark brown. And flavor corresponds with color. The lighter the syrup, the lighter its flavor, and the darker the syrup, the deeper and more robust its flavor.
So while a light Amber-colored maple syrup does particularly well as a topping for fresh berries, sourdough pancakes or homemade yogurt, dark maple, with its deep flavor, pairs nicely with stronger and more assertive flavors. So while a light maple syrup might get lost between the molasses and ginger in these gingerbread cookies, a dark maple stands up well to these flavors, bringing greater depth of flavor to the cookie.
As a minimally processed, natural sweetener, maple syrup is also richer in micronutrients than refined sweeteners like white sugar. It contains various antioxidants, as well as minerals like manganese, zinc, potassium, calcium and iron.
Rebecca Madsen says
Hi, what would be a good substitute for the maple sugar?
Jenny says
Light brown sugar is a good substitute for maple sugar.
Kathryn says
Do you think these could be made without a mixer?
Jenny McGruther says
You could certainly try. Let us know how it gos.
Kristalyn Pac says
These look superb! I'm not seeing the frosting recipe here tho'. Am I missing something, or is that listed elsewhere? Thanks so much.
Jenny says
It's just a recipe for cookies, but you can use a royal icing or any kind of frosting recipe you happen to like.
Emma Stone says
Superb recipe. I just loved it!
Jennifer Berkey says
I will be making these Gingerbread Cookies this New Year's Eve Party. My kids love gingerbread cookies. Also, this one looks 'Instagrammable'. Thanks for this. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Xoxo.
Rebecca says
Absolutely delicious! I was just thinking about how I wanted a gingerbread cookie recipe that used einkorn flour by didn't use a ton but sugar, and then I saw this newly posted recipe! They turned out moist, sweet, chewy and amazing! Thank you, Jenny, for all the work that you put it to creating all your recipes! I love your cookbooks as well!