Tag Archives: maple syrup

310/365. recipe: maple eggnog with freshly grated nutmeg.

November 8, 2015 snowdeal Leave a comment

since we’re getting into the swing of eggnog season, i thought it’d be fun to do a semi-occasional series on some of my favorite eggnog drink recipes. some will probably contain alcohol, but not this one. it’s super simple to make and really tasty. resist the temptation to overdo the maple syrup. the ratios provided give the eggnog just the right amount of maple flavor without overpowering it.

ingredients
1/2 C organic valley eggnog
1T maple syrup
freshly grated nutmeg

directions
combine eggnog and maple syrup and chill. top with grated nutmeg and enjoy!

recipe

recipe: swedish pancakes ( for mother’s day or any day ).

May 11, 2014 snowdeal Leave a comment

odin made his mother a nice card for mother’s day and he also knows that one of her very favorite things to have for breakfast is swedish pancakes ( sometimes known as nordic pancakes ) which are more like crepes than your traditional north american pancake.

odin created a handy mnemonic device to remember the recipe. 321 EMF! that’s 3 eggs, 2 cups of milk and 1 cup of flour. mix together and add a pinch of sugar and salt and you’re ready to go.

pour a thin layer of batter on a preheated skillet and cook for a few minutes ( until flippable ), turn and cook for a few more until golden brown. roll-up each pancake and serve with fruit and maple syrup.

super easy and super delicious!

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goodbye ‘grade b maple syrup’, hello ‘grade a – dark robust taste’?

February 16, 2014 snowdeal Leave a comment

we consume a lot of maple syrup, much of it added to lightly sweetened plain yogurt and, of course, occasionally on top of french toast or pancakes. i can’t remember exactly when, but at some point years ago i remember learning that grade B was better. huh? how could grade b be better than grade A? and cost less?! well, it was true, the cheapest maple syrup tastes best and once you get used to the dark, flavorful grade B you can’t go back to the bland grade A. but it obviously has had a branding problem, since in almost every other instance you can think of, grades with lower letters in the alphabet mean the product is inferior.

vermonters are moving towards a uniform grading system where everything is grade A with flavor descriptors – e.g. grade B will become ‘grade A dark, robust taste’. no doubt some folks think the new grades “lose vermont touch and some see a conspiracy:

“In Wisconsin, where the grading proposal is under discussion, syrup-maker Katrina Becker of Stoney Acres Farm said some producers fear their industry could become Big Maple. One standard is the first step to price controls, more regulation and speculative maple-syrup trading, she predicted.”

maybe this is the first stage of a maple syrup revolution that could change the business forever finally realizing thomas jefferson’s dream of maple syrup besting sugarcane in the battle for america’s sweet tooth.

recipe

recipe: maple panna cotta with peach coulis.

October 19, 2013 snowdeal Leave a comment

i was eating dinner at driftless cafe and finished it off with an excellent panna cotta ( i was reminded by the staff that they use organic valley half and half and organic valley heavy whipping cream which always makes me happy to hear 🙂 ) and it made me wonder why i didn’t make a homemade version. it’s easy to make, uses two of my favorite ingredients and can be the used as the base for a nearly infinite number of variations. perfect!

we have plenty of frozen peaches to use in the freezer so i thought i’d start with a maple panna cotta with peach coulis similar in spirit to this strawberry panna cotta and this peaches and cream panna cotta shots.

i used agar-agar flakes in lieu of animal gelatin because, well, i generally try to avoid animal gelatin. i’m guessing a panna cotta purist might scoff at using agar.

ingredients

panna cotta
1 1/2 cups organic valley half and half
1/2 cup organic valley heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons agar agar flakes

peach coulis
12 peach frozen quarters
1 tablespoon sugar

1. in a small saucepan, heat the the half and half, heavy whipping cream, maple syrup, sugar and agar flakes until simmering for 5-10 minutes or until the agar flakes are completely dissolved ( to be honest it was impossible for me to completely dissolve all the flakes so this batch had a few tapioca-like chunks in it. perhaps someone has a good tactic for getting them to dissolve completely. )
2. transfer mixture to ramekins, cover and put in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
3. heat peach frozen quarters and sugar with a small amount of water until a thickened peachy sauce is formed.
4. puree peach sauce in blender
5. after the panna cotta has cooled and firmed in the fridge, pour the peach sauce on top

i’m no panna cotta expert, but i believe it’s supposed to have a consistency just slightly thicker than pudding and this batch was pretty close. unsurprisingly, the maple and peach flavors were quite complimentary. A++, would make again!

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pure maple syrup’s sweet revenge on hfcs imposters.

April 4, 2011 snowdeal Leave a comment

we love maple syrup ( in moderation, of course ) and can’t imagine why folks put up with the high fructose corn syrup imposters made with maple flavoring. for shame!

now, new research shows once again that you really can’t improve on Mother Nature. it turns out that maple syrup has 54 beneficial compounds, many with key roles in human health:

“I continue to say that nature is the best chemist, and that maple syrup is becoming a champion food when it comes to the number and variety of beneficial compounds found in it,” Seeram said. “It’s important to note that in our laboratory research we found that several of these compounds possess anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which have been shown to fight cancer, diabetes and bacterial illnesses.”

i’m sure some enterprising chemists are attempting to isolate Maple Magic, but we’ll stick to the real thing. perhaps it’s time to plant a few maple trees in the backyard.

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