I want a light tan colored gingerbread cookie: SUBSTITUTIONS FOR MOLASSES & BROWN SUGAR???

Question

For this years gingerbread house I am once again taking on another engineering marvel. I need some of the cookie creation to be a light tan color, but still have the rigidity of gingerbread.
ISSUE #1 Dark Brown Sugar (a.k.a. dark evil #1)
Using light brown sugar, is the first step, but is there any way to get the light brown sugar LIGHTER in color? Can I mix it with anything else? I could just make regular gingerbread & cover it with tan icing, but how easy is that? PFFT! I want the challenge of making the entire cookie different, yet keeping it's principle properties the same. ISSUE #2 Molasses is the second "dark evil" color involved in the recipe, BUT it also gives the cookie that yummy, memory-conjuring taste. I thought about honey & Karo Syrup. Maybe not used together - Hmmm-or maybe used together. I don't know. ISSUE #3
It says I need to use butter or margarine in the recipe... Would 1 b darker than the other after baking? Is there a lighter colored substitution?

Answer 1

Yes this is a tricky one.

Use dark brown sugar. ( this has some of the properties and taste of molasses. )
Use half molasses and half white corn syrup.

Try the recipe in a small batch. Then adjust the molasses and white corn syrup to get the taste you want.
Margarine and butter will not affect the colour.

Let me know how it turns out.

chef Robert, author of Chef Robert presents Romantic Dinners for two

Answer 2

Heat white sugar in a black skillet over the stove, and still continuously until it browns.