Brown Butter Maple Ginger Molasses Cookies
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Author
Founders
Servings
32 cookies
Sample taken from Members' Recipes
Some recipes evolve naturally from the ingredients that define a place. In Canada, maple syrup is one of those ingredients. Combined with the rich depth of molasses, the warmth of ginger and spice, and the nutty aroma of browned butter, it transforms a familiar cookie into something truly memorable.
Browning butter is a simple technique that cooks the milk solids until they become golden and fragrant, creating flavours reminiscent of caramel, toasted nuts, and toffee. Those notes blend seamlessly with maple syrup and molasses, producing a cookie with remarkable depth for such a simple recipe. The result is a soft, chewy cookie with crackled tops, warm spice, and a rich flavor that seems to improve with every bite.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
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1¼ cups (283 g) unsalted butter
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1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
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½ cup (110 g) packed brown sugar
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⅓ cup (113 g) fancy molasses
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¼ cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup
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2 large eggs
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3¾ cups (470 g) all-purpose flour
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2½ teaspoons baking soda
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2½ teaspoons ground ginger
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1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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¼ teaspoon ground cloves
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¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
For Rolling
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½ cup granulated sugar
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1 tablespoon maple sugar (optional)
Directions
Brown the Butter
Place the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat.
Melt the butter, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking until it begins to foam and the milk solids on the bottom turn golden brown. The butter should smell nutty and caramel-like.
Immediately transfer the browned butter to a large mixing bowl, scraping in all the browned bits.
Allow the butter to cool for 15 to 20 minutes until warm but no longer hot.
Make the Dough
Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar to the browned butter and mix until combined.
Stir in the molasses and maple syrup.
Beat in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Bake the Cookies
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine the granulated sugar and maple sugar in a small bowl, if using.
Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon portions and roll into balls.
Roll each dough ball in the sugar mixture and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the tops are crackled and the edges are set while the centers remain slightly soft.
Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Recipe Note
Storage
Store in an airtight container for up to one week. These cookies are often even better the following day as the flavours of maple, molasses, browned butter, and spice continue to develop.
Variations
Double Ginger Brown Butter Cookies
Add ½ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger.
Maple Pecan Ginger Cookies
Fold in ¾ cup toasted chopped pecans.
Maple Orange Ginger Cookies
Add the finely grated zest of one orange to the dough.
Holiday Spice Version
Increase the cinnamon to 1½ teaspoons and add ¼ teaspoon allspice.
Grounded Kitchen Notes
Watch the butter carefully while browning; it can go from perfectly golden to burnt in less than a minute.
Use pure Canadian maple syrup for the best flavor.
Fancy molasses provides sweetness and richness without excessive bitterness.
Do not overbake. The cookies should look slightly underdone in the center when removed from the oven.
Chilling the dough is essential for thick, chewy cookies with attractive crackled tops.