Anyone who grew up reading the work of Little House on the Prairie author Laura Ingalls Wilder will, I suspect, have a similarly unshakeable affection for maple syrup as I do. It all started with Little House in the Big Woods when Laura visits her grandmother during sugaring time. She describes them all making snow candy together: “Grandma stood by the brass kettle and with a big wooden spoon she poured hot syrup on each plate of snow. It cooled into a soft candy, and as fast as it cooled they ate it.” And then, the words any one who’s ever tasted maple syrup wants to hear: “They could eat all they wanted, for maple sugar never hurt anybody.”
With that in mind, let’s get to the recipes which – to the sheer delight of my seven-year-old self – have caused me to use up well over a litre of the good stuff in the past couple days. Maple syrup – and if you’re going to use it, it really ought to be real, pure syrup – comes in different grades, depending on when it’s harvested, although trying to unpick the differences in grading between the various maple producing states in North America is painful. Basically, the syrup harvested first is the lightest, in colour as in taste, while the season’s latecomer is amber verging on dark, with a robust and distinctive flavour to match.
The winning recipe: Maple buttermilk pudding (pictured above)
Angela Kim’s pudding makes an excellent case for the pairing of buttermilk’s soured richness with the sweetness of the syrup. And then there’s the mesh of textures, the pecans, candied and crunchy against a backdrop of cold cream and the juiciness of the fruit.
Serves 4-6
175ml buttermilk
175ml single cream
80ml maple syrup, preferably amber
½ tsp vanilla essence
A pinch salt
1½ tsp corn flour
4 egg yolks
For the pecans
50g pecan halves
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp dark rum
A good pinch of salt
To serve
Apple or pear slices
1 Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. Bring the buttermilk, cream, maple syrup, vanilla and salt to a gentle simmer. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch in a small heatproof bowl.
2 Once the cream mixture comes to a gentle simmer, remove it from the heat. Pour a small ladleful into the egg yolks in a steady stream while whisking constantly. Then pour that mixture back into the pot, still whisking constantly.
3 Over a low heat, whisk the cream-egg mixture until it just starts to steam. Do not let the egg yolks curdle.
4 Pour the mixture into small, ovenproof cups or pots. Put them in a deep baking dish, pour hot water in the baking dish until the water comes halfway up the sides of the pots. Bake for 30 minutes. Let the pots cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
5 To glaze the pecans, mix all the pecan ingredients together and spread them out on a lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10-15 minutes at 150C/300F/gas mark 2, stirring once halfway through.
6 Serve the pots with the chopped pecans and sliced apples or pears.
Pineapple fritters
Maple – like honey – will do any piece of fruit proud. But Bobby Ananta’s decision to go with grilled pineapple is inspired. And the lime, ginger and sesame only add to the brilliance.
Makes 10-12
1 pineapple, skinned, cored, sliced 1cm thick
2 tbsp maple syrup
120g self-raising flour
30g rice flour
2 eggs
4cm ginger, finely diced
120ml milk
2 tsp black sesame seeds
Vegetable oil, for frying
For the sauce
160ml maple syrup
Zest from ½ lime
2cm ginger, finely grated
1 First, make the sauce. Mix together the maple syrup, lime zest and ginger. Stir well, then set aside.
2 Grill the slices of pineapple and drizzle with maple syrup to slightly caramelise them. Remove from the grill then dice into 1cm cubes. Set aside.
3 In a medium bowl, with a hand whisk, mix together the flours, eggs and ginger. Add the milk and keep whisking until you have a batter with a consistency like thick honey. Add the pineapple and sesame seeds, stir well.
4 Shallow fry large spoonfuls in a medium heat until golden brown, then soak in the sauce while hot.
Maple cream soda
GrahamAB specifies you use a dark maple syrup in this drink, as it has a robustness that cuts through the sweetness of the cream and ginger ale.
Makes 1
2 tbsp maple syrup, amber or dark
2 tbsp whipping cream
225ml ginger ale
Ice
1 Mix the maple syrup and cream in a tall glass.
2 Pour ginger ale into the mixture and stir. Add ice and serve.
Maple cream puffs
Boiling maple syrup can result in all kinds of magic – from snow taffy to maple butter – and this mousse form Claire Thivierge is no exception (you will need a sugar thermometer). I stirred some into porridge this morning, a breakfast my entire household would readily eat again for “#brinner”.
Serves 6-8
For the puffs
57g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
115ml water
115g plain flour
2 eggs
For the mousse
2 egg whites, at room temperature
230ml maple syrup, preferably dark
1 Heat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Butter a baking tray.
2 Boil the water in a medium pan. Add the butter, then swirl the pan until it melts. Add the flour in one sweep and stir vigorously until it forms a ball. Remove from the heat, then set it aside for 5 minutes to cool a little.
3 Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each addition until incorporated. The dough should become glossy.
4 Spoon little mounds, set well apart, on to the prepared baking sheet. They will expand while cooking. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let the puffs cool to room temperature.
5 Meanwhile, make the mousse. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
6 Pour the maple syrup into a large pan over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Watch carefully that it does not boil over. When a sugar thermometer indicates the syrup has reached 115C, take the pot off the heat.
7 Slowly drizzle the boiling syrup into the egg whites while beating continuously with a hand-held mixer. Keep beating for 3-4 minutes.
8 Cut the puffs in half and fill each with a tablespoon of the maple mousse and serve immediately.
Maple syrup and tahini breadsticks and dip
Fadime Tiskaya makes wonderful bakes (remember her za’atar and tahini breakfast buns?) so I was itching to make these.
Makes 20
For the bread sticks
375g strong white flour
5g fine salt
5g dried yeast
5 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp tahini
230ml lukewarm water
120g sesame seeds
For the dip
50g tahini
45g maple syrup
1 To make the breadsticks, in a large bowl mix together the flour, yeast, salt, 2 tbsp of the maple syrup, the tahini paste and 185ml of the water until you achieve a rough dough.
2 Knead the dough mixture for about 10 minutes, or until it has achieved a smooth, firm consistency. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with a clingfilm. Put it in a warm place for at least an hour, until the dough doubles in size.
3 Meanwhile, in a shallow, nonstick pan over a medium heat, toast the sesame seeds for about 5 minutes or so, stirring continuously until they have turned golden brown.
4 In a small bowl, mix together the remainder of the maple syrup and the water, then set aside – this will be used to glaze the breadsticks later. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and set aside.
5 Preheat the oven on to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. On a flat surface, use your hands to knock the proofed dough back to get rid of the air. Then roll it into a thick sausage shape and cut into 20 pieces. Roll each piece into a stick slightly thicker than a pen. Place them on the baking sheet close together. Score them with a sharp knife .
6 Using a brush, glaze each breadstick generously, making sure all sides are completely coated. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds.
7 Bake for about 15 minutes, or until they have turned golden brown.
8 To make the dip, mix the tahini paste and maple syrup together until they combined well. Serve alongside the breadsticks.
Parsnip and roquefort salad with tangerine maple dressing
This was one involved salad to make, but morning_glory’s intriguing combination of flavours makes it perfectly worthwhile. The maple syrup holds it all together, glazing the nuts, caramelising the roots and softening the citrus in the dressing. And all that sweetness makes the salty blue a crucial component.
Serves 4-6
For the dressing
1 tangerine
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp olive oil
For the salad
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into 2-3 cm pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp maple syrup
10-12 walnut halves
60g roquefort, broken into rough pieces
A pinch of salt
Leaves of 1 small radicchio head
A handful of watercress
1 Put the whole tangerine (including peel) in a saucepan. Cover with boiling water and simmer for 25-30 minutes until softened and tender. Chop into chunks and remove any pips then blitz to a puree (I used a stick blender). Set aside to cool.
2 Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Put the parsnips in a baking tray lined with baking paper. Add 2 tbsp of the olive oil and toss the parsnips until coated. Roast for 20-25 minutes until they are beginning to turn golden. Drizzle over 2 tbsp of the maple syrup and toss to coat.
3 Return the parsnips to the oven for 15-20 minutes until caramelised. Remove and set aside.
4 Put the walnut halves in the same baking dish, adding another tbsp maple syrup. Roast for 15-20 minutes, turning them every 5 minutes, until browned. Remove from the oven and set aside. They will become crisp as they cool.
5 Make the salad dressing by mixing 1-2 tbsp of the tangerine puree with 1 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tbsp olive oil. Add salt to taste.
6 Assemble all the salad ingredients, breaking some of the walnut halves into smaller pieces. Serve the salad drizzled with the dressing.
Maple gochujang marinade
Rachel Kelly, what an excellent marinade. Gochujang (Korean chilli paste) brings the kind of heat that welcomes pure sweetness. Rachel likes it with steak; I’d go for salmon, and a pork pairing would no doubt work wonders.
Makes enough for 2-3 steaks
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp gochujang paste
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 Combine all the ingredients together and whisk well. If the gochujang paste is particularly thick it is worth giving it a couple of 10-second blasts in the microwave to help loosen it up.
2 When well-blended, marinade your meat or fish for at least an hour, or overnight in the fridge, before cooking.
