Maple Ginger Snaps

These ginger snaps swap molasses for real maple syrup, which gives them a rounder, more caramel sweetness than the traditional version. Rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking, each cookie comes out with a crackly, sparkly crust and a spicy snap when you bite through.

The dough is soft and sticky when first mixed. If it’s too loose to shape, chill it for an hour or two until it firms up enough to roll into balls without sticking to your hands. Don’t skip the cinnamon-sugar coating. It adds crunch and a second layer of warmth on top of the ginger and cloves already in the dough.

Pull them from the oven at light golden brown, not dark. They firm up as they cool, so they’ll seem underdone on the sheet but will crisp perfectly in a minute or two.

Pro Tips

• Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. The real stuff has a deeper, more complex sweetness that artificial versions can’t match.
• Let the cookies cool on the sheet for a full minute before moving them. They’re fragile right out of the oven and will crack if you lift them too soon.
• Roll the balls generously in the cinnamon sugar. Press lightly so the coating sticks and doesn’t just fall off during baking.

Variations

• Add a pinch of cardamom to the spice blend for a Scandinavian twist that pairs beautifully with the maple.
• Sandwich two cookies with maple cream cheese frosting for a holiday cookie swap showstopper.
• Substitute butter for the shortening if you prefer a chewier cookie with more flavor.