Making sure you vegans aren't left out, I'd like to supplement Lindsey Tramuta's wonderful Gingerbread recipe with some vegan-friendly ginger snaps.
This recipe uses pure maple syrup instead of granulated sugar as its sweetener. And while the maple flavor adds an interesting complexity, I believe in my heart of hearts, every cookie needs a crunch.
So, it's imperative you sprinkle some raw or demerara sugar on top of your cookies before popping them in the oven. They just won't be proper cookies if you forget.
Ingredients
Makes about 32 2-inch cookies
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 grapeseed or vegetable oil
1/4 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 inches fresh ginger root, finely grated (about 3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamon
Demerara sugar for dusting
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Whisk together maple syrup, molasses, oil, cider, extracts, ginger and lemon zest until well combined.
Sift in dry ingredients.
Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. The dough will be quite sticky, but it's supposed to be, so don't worry.
Scoop walnut-sized batter balls onto a greased cookie sheet. Flatten a bit with your fingers. Sprinkle a pinch of demerara sugar on top and press in so it doesn't all fall off when you go to eat them.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies sit on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Image © Yvonne Penzakov for BitchBuzz.com