Maple Leaf Cookies

These cookies are actually super good. They keep well and travel well. They have a subtle sweet maple flavor and a buttery flavor. They aren't difficult to make, but to get them shaped nicely, first you must track down a maple leaf cookie cutter (easier said than done), then chill them as instructed. Of course, you could forgo the maple leaf shape and cut circles or rectangles. I'll bet you can even skip the rolling and cutting all together and simply roll the dough into balls to get the same flavor with less work.

Maple Leaf Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup maple syrup, plus extra for brushing
3 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
sprinkles, as desired

Cream the butter well, then beat in the sugars until light and fluffy. Blend in egg, then syrup. Gradually stir in the flour.
Wrap dough well and chill overnight.

Allow dough to come to room temperature, then roll on lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Then freeze the sheets of dough for at least 15 minutes until firm.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a 2-1/2-inch maple leaf-shaped cookie cutter to cut out dough. Carefully transfer to prepared baking sheets. There is no need to space these cookies far apart. 
Gently brush each cookie with maple syrup. Then sprinkle with sprinkles as desired.
Bake about 10 or until edges are lightly browned but centers are still slightly soft. Allow to stand on baking sheets for a minute before transferring to cool completely. 

Sweet and Spicy Balsamic Roasted Nuts

Sweet and Spicy Balsamic Roasted Nuts
1 cup mixed nut blend (any kinds you like - I recommend three varieties) 
2 Tablespoons espresso balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons molasses
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch chili flakes

Toss all together, spread on a baking sheet, and roast at 350°F until toasted. Let cool, then break into pieces. 

Strawberry Jam Oatmeal Thumbprint Cookies

This is a really easy cookie recipe that just happens to be vegan and relatively healthy. The rolling and filling of the cookies is a little time-consuming but well worth the effort. These cookies are filled with oats and whole wheat flour, use oil instead of butter, and are naturally sweetened by molasses and maple syrup. They also contain a hint of spice for flavor, but this can be omitted for a plain cookie. They keep well and freeze well.

Strawberry Jam Oatmeal Thumbprint Cookies
4 cups rolled oats
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup maple syrup
strawberry jam (or your favorite flavor)

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, salt, and spices.
Stir in the oil, molasses, and syrup; mix well.
Roll dough into walnut-sized balls, using about 1/2 tablespoon dough for each. Alternately, you may make these cookies as large or as small as you wish.
Place cookies slightly apart on prepared baking sheets.
Using your thumb or the opposite end of a mixing spoon, press a small indent into the center of each cookie. 
Fill each cookie with one teaspoon or so of jam - fill it straight to the top but don't overfill. The jam will reduce slightly when baked and doesn't tend to overflow like in some cookies, so be generous.
Bake for 15 minutes until the bottoms are lightly browned. Let cool on the cookie sheet for a couple minutes to firm up.

Makes approximately small 60 cookies.

Maple Pecan Brownie Bomb

Maple Pecan Brownie
1/4 cup unsalted butter
scant 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1 large egg
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Spiced Dark Chocolate Mousse
85 grams dark chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon dark cocoa powder
37 grams unsalted butter
3 large eggs, separated
37 grams granulated (white) sugar
2 teaspoons chocolate chili powder

Caramel Crunch Candy
1/4 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/4 cup water

Caramel Web
2 Tablespoons granulated (white) sugar

White Chocolate Maple Ganache
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
scant 1/4 cup whipping cream
1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Begin with the BROWNIE. Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease two small (four inch) fluted tart pan or similar mold.
Melt the butter and cocoa over low heat. Beat the egg, then beat in the maple syrup. Whisk in the cocoa mixture, then the flour and nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake for 15 minutes, cool slightly, unmold, then poke lightly with the tines of a fork. Pour a little extra maple syrup over top and allow the brownies to absorb it. Cool completely.

Move on to the MOUSSE. Melt the chocolate, cocoa, and butter in a bowl over a pan of just simmering water. Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then whisk in the sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently whisk in the egg yolks. Mix the chili into the chocolate mixture, then whisk this into the eggs. Chill until set, or chill in the freezer to speed up the process.

Next make up the CARAMEL CRUNCH CANDY. Put the sugar and water into a small saucepan over low heat until mixture hardens. Stir it to form separate chunks, then set it aside to cool slightly.

For the CARAMEL WEB heat the sugar over very low heat until it is melted and golden. Set aside to cool slightly until barely cool enough to handle. Once cool, pull off long, thing strands. 

Meanwhile, make the WHITE CHOCOLATE MAPLE GANACHE by heating the chocolate and cream in a bowl over a pot of barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Stir in the maple syrup, then set aside to cool and thicken slightly.

To assemble: Spread some chocolate mousse on a plate in the shape of a star. Place the brownie in the center. Drizzle the entire plate with the ganache. Garnish with the candy. Place the caramel web strands on top of the brownie to form a nest. Garnish with additional pecans if desired.

Maple Coconut Squares

Well, it isn't exactly maple syrup season, but I made maple squares none the less. These squares are easy to do, and they are very rich, so cut them small! I did have some problems with these squares though. They still seemed very liquidy after 20 minutes, so I baked them probably about 20 minutes longer. They firm upon cooling. The middle of the squares seemed like it turned out right, but the edges were very runny. Even though I lined the pan, the bars still really stuck to it too. I put them in the fridge, since maple syrup is perishable, but they became really hard. They are just cuttable, but they must be heated in the microwave to eat or they are too hard. They taste ok - very sweet and mapley. Not sure what happened with these squares, but oh well. Here is the recipe if you want to try to yield better results yourself.

Maple Coconut Squares
CRUST
1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg, beaten
FILLING
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 large egg, beaten
2 Tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 425◦F. Line an 8x8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
CRUST: In a medium bowl, stir first three ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbly. Mix in egg. Press into prepared pan. Bake for eight minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350◦F.
FILLING: In a medium saucepan, bring the sugar and syrup to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for five minutes.Let cool for ten minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Pour over crust. Bake for 20 minutes.

Maple Pancake Cookies

These are the delicious cookies I made today. They are plenty sweet, and have a nice real maple flavor. They are sort of like pancakes - not quite the same texture, but a good substitute for dessert or a snack. They are also incredibly quick and easy to make, the dough can even be made ahead of time and refrigerated until you are ready to bake. If you don't need to transport the cookies anywhere and don't mind a little stickiness, they would be even better brushed with a little maple syrup when they come out of the oven. Or better yet, sandwich two cookies together with a spoonful of maple syrup. A simple maple glaze made with icing sugar and maple syrup would be nice too. although they are perfectly good plain as well. I found the recipe nestled into a chapter book I read.

Maple Pancake Cookies
3/4 cup hard margarine, melted
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1/4 cup additional granulated (white) sugar, for rolling

In a large bowl, add the sugar to the melted butter. Mix in the egg, syrup, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill dough for at least an hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Prepare cookie sheets (lining them with parchment paper works well). Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and roll them in the additional sugar. Place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Gently flatten with your hand or a spatula. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet immediately to cool. Makes about three dozen cookies.

Maple Apple Oatmeal Muffins

Since it is still maple syrup season and maple products are still in abundance at the supermarkets, I decide to make another baked good with maple. I recently came across this recipe in a newspaper, and it looked good so I decided to try it. Maple and apple sounded like a good combination to me, especially with the addition of hearty oats for texture. The recipe uses a modest 1/2 cup of maple syrup, which is why only 1/3 cup of sugar is needed, as maple syrup actually has a higher concentration of sweetness than sugar (it varies also depending on the grade of maple syrup you choose). The muffins are brushed with some extra maple syrup while still warm, adding some extra maple flavor and a hint of stickiness to them.

Maple Apple Oatmeal Muffins
1 1/4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 1/2 cups milk
1 large egg
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups finely diced cooking apples (peeled or unpeeled)
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup, for brushing the tops

Preheat oven to 400◦F. Lightly grease or line a muffin tin with paper liners.
In a large bowl, combine the oats and milk, set aside and let sit for at least five minutes.
In a separate medium bowl, mix the next five ingredients. Add to oat mixture, mix well. Add flour, baking powder, and salt, stir until just moistened. Gently fold in apples. 
Divide among muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are firm to the touch. Brush the tops of the muffins with some extra maple syrup while still warm.

Maple Syrup

Maple syrup season is upon us! I love maple syrup. I have previously done a research project and presentation on the sweet stuff before, so I will share some of my knowledge with you.

What is it?
Maple syrup comes from maple trees: classic Canadian icons. Small holes are tapped into the trees, and sap (liquid from the trees consisting mostly of water) is collected. The water is then boiled off the sap, and sweet, sticky maple syrup is left.
Maple syrup is considered one of the many wonders of the world. It is a viscous amber liquid with a characteristic earthy sweet taste. Boiling the sap helps to concentrate its low sugar content to more than 60%. This process also creates the characteristic flavor and deep color of the syrup. 

How is it made?
Sap is collected from maple trees around March and April, when the days are warm and the nights are freezing, causing the sap to flow.
The trees are tapped with holes and fitted with tubes connected to buckets, where the sap runs through to be collected.The sap is then boiled at about 104 degrees C on the same day it is gathered, usually boiling overnight in specific conditions to ensure the proper viscosity and taste of the final product.

The Traditional Native Way
The Native Americans were the first discoverers of sap of the maple trees.
They made small slits in the trees and used reeds or bark to collect the sap.
The sap was concentrated either by contact with hot stones or leaving it overnight.
The sap was boiled in clay pots hanging by tree branches over simple fires. 

The Modern European Way
European colonies learned the custom of tapping maple trees for syrup from the Natives.
They used newer, advanced equipment. Sugarshacks - small, outdoor, wooden building where the sap was boiled - were created.
Maple syrup and other maple products, sugars, and candies were produced.

Which trees are used?
The main type of tree used is the Sugar Maple (also known as Hard Maple or acer saccarum).
Other trees used are: Red Maple (Swamp Maple, or acer rubrum), Silver Maple (Soft Maple), Ash Leafed Maple.
Trees should be at least 40 years old to tap (young trees are not big enough), but may be over 150 years old.
Trees must be at least 25 cm in trunk diameter.
Depending on the tree’s diameter, it may be fitted with up to 3 taps.
Prudent tapping does not harm the trees.

How is it used?
The most common use for maple syrup is to drown hot, fluffy pancakes with it.
However, maple syrup is commonly used in many other food dishes; such as sweets, candies, and drinks.
Maple is also gaining popularity as a flavoring for savoury dishes as well; such as maple smoked bacon, 
maple braised pork, and maple vinagrettes. 

Other Maple Products
Aside from maple syrup, the sap from maple trees is also used to make many other delicious products.

• Maple sugar
• Maple butter
• Maple cream
• Maple candies
• Maple coated nuts

Types of Maple Syrup
Grade A Light Amber Syrup is made from early season sap when the sugar content is highest (2.2 – 3%) so the least amount of boiling time is required to obtain syrup density. It is the lightest syrup and has a slightly maple, delicate flavor.
Grade A Medium Amber Syrup is made with average sugar content sap through midseason.  This syrup is golden in color and has characteristic maple flavor.
Grade A Dark Amber Syrup is made from sap that has low sugar content, (1.2-1.6% )It is dark amber and has a more pronounced maple flavor.
Grade B Syrup is made at the end of the season with sap of very low sugar content. It is very dark in color and very strong in flavor. 

Storing Maple Syrup
Maple syrup can last an extensive period of time if unopened. 
Once open, maple syrup should be stored in the refrigerator or frozen.
Maple sugar and maple candies also last quite a while, and do not need to be refrigerated.

Nutrition
Maple syrup is a completely natural sweetener. It can be used in place of sugar in many recipes, although maple syrup is sweeter, so less is required.
Maple syrup has more health benefits than sugar, including antioxidants, zinc, manganese, calcium, iron, and potassium.

Interesting Facts

• High volumes of sap flows are called “runs”.
• It takes 50 liters of sap to make 1 litre of syrup.
• The sugar content of sap is 2.5%, syrup is 65%. 
• There are 9 festivals held every year in Canada dedicated to maple syrup.
• Canada produces 80% of the world’s maple syrup.

Maple Glazed Ham

Remember all of that extra sauce I had from the Maple Pudding Cake I made on Sunday? The cake was excellent, but the sauce was a bit too liquidy, and there was a lot more of it than there was to serve with the cake. Well, I couldn't let that sauce go to waste, so I used it to serve a maple-glazed ham. To do this, it is really simple, just buy a whole or half ham, pierce the skin all over, and drizzle the maple sauce over top, allowing it to go into the ham. Bake the ham as usual, and serve extra sauce over individual slices. Even with the maple glazed ham, there was still some leftover sauce, which we poured on our homemade waffles we served with the ham. Luckily, the sauce had thickened a bit compared to when it was first baked, as a result of being refrigerated. Some of the cake broke down into the sauce, so you got a few cake crumbs in with your sauce, but it wasn't very noticeable on the waffles. Since the sauce was composed of only sugar, water, maple syrup, and a spoonful of flour, it kept well in the fridge, and would probably be good for another week or two. It is very similar to using just plain maple syrup.

Maple Pudding Cake

Since spring is upon us, the maple trees are flowing with sap, and maple products are becoming abundant in grocery stores, I decided to make a warm, maple dessert to help take the still-present chill out of the air. I made a maple pudding cake, a recipe I came across in a newspaper a while ago. I don't bake with maple syrup very often, simply because it tends to be quite expensive, especially in the off-season. However, maple syrup can definitely be worth the splurge, as it was with this dish. The maple flavor, and sweet stickiness from the syrup made this an outstanding dish. 
To make this dish, maple syrup is boiled along with water, brown sugar, and a little bit of flour. This sauce is poured into a deep baking pan. Then a simple cake batter is whipped up and poured over top of the sauce in the pan. The dish is then baked for 30-40 minutes at 375◦F. The dish bakes up nicely into three layers: the sweet sauce, the risen cake on top, and a middle layer, where the liquid sauce causes the cake to bake into a pudding. This made a very nice dish, the cake rose nice and high, was a beautiful golden color, and had an excellent, moist, flavor and texture. The only issue I had with this dish was the sauce. I turned out very liquidy. The recipe instructions stated to heat it in a pot until it came to a boil, I did, and then I even let it boil for a few minutes to thicken a bit, but I guess it was not long enough. There also seemed to be an excess of sauce as compared to cake. The next time I make this dish, I will halve the sauce recipe, and maybe add a little more flour or substitute cornstarch to make it thicker, and boil it for a bit longer. Other than that though, this was a really nice dessert. And having some extra maple sauce around isn't necessarily a bad thing. We enjoyed this dish straight from the oven, refrigerated the leftovers, and enjoyed them cold. It is delicious both ways! It also stored well - especially the sauce. Maybe I will find a way to use that sauce sometime soon......

Sugah, Oh Sugah, Sugah!

Well, after baking the last few days, I've got to do some eating before I can bake again. So here is an article.

You can look far past that bag of plain old table sugar. There are many new sweetener options around, providing different flavours, consistencies, and taste-sensations. Here is a guide to the most common sweeteners.

·         Granulated Sugar Fine, white grains processed from the sugar cane. It is an all-purpose sweetener that is most commonly used, and the sweetner we have grown to love. It is completely natural, but is quite refined.

·         Brown Sugar Packed light to dark brown granules, brown sugar is really just granulated sugar with molasses added to it. Therefore, it has the benefits of a little added iron, calcium, and magnesium. It is just as sweet as sugar and can be used just like sugar in most cases, giving a slightly chewier texture and caramel flavour.

·         Turbinado (Raw) Sugar Light or dark brown coarse crystals from the first pressing of the sugar cane. Considered more nutritious than sugar because it is less processed. It tastes very similar to brown sugar and can be used just like it.

·         Corn Syrup Is a thick, sticky white to amber colour, produced from corn that has been broken down into glucose and then heated. Corn syrup is just as sweet as sugar, but is more processed and refined. Corn syrup is used just like sugar in many cases, but is especially useful in candy-making, beverages, and caramel.

·         Honey A thick, pale or golden yellow-coloured sticky liquid made by bees using nectar from flowers. Honey is a completely natural remedy to many heath woes, including: coughs, sore throats, bacteria, viruses, fungal, respiratory illnesses, blood sugar control, insulin regulation, weight management, immunity, wounds, high cholesterol, and diabetes. It also contains iron, manganese, and B vitamins, as well as being easier to digest than sugar. Honey is about fifty percent sweeter than sugar. It is very often put on foods such as fruit, yogurt, tea, toast, salmon, and ham; as well as used in a variety of baked goods, cereals, and sauces.

·         Maple Syrup Thick, sticky amber liquid produced from the sap of maple trees. It is completely natural and contains more vitamins and minerals than sugar. Different varieties have different sweetnesses. It is most commonly used for pancakes, but can be used for candies, cookies, butter, bacon, ham, sauces, and in many baked goods.

·         Molasses A thick, dark brown, sticky liquid that is the product left behind when cane sugar is processed. It is completely natural, and is a slightly healthier choice than sugar due to its high iron, calcium, and magnesium contents. Molasses is slightly less sweet than sugar. It is great used as a spread on toast, biscuits, and oatmeal; and gives baked goods a slightly more robust flavour.

·         Naturally-Found Sweeteners include maltose (natural sugars found in grain products), lactose (natural sugars found in milk products), fructose (natural sugars found in fruits), and glucose (natural sugars found in carbohydrates). These sugars are only found naturally in foods, and cannot be purchased by themselves.

“What is..." "Granulated Sugar, Brown Sugar, Turbinado Sugar, Corn Syrup, Honey, Maple Syrup, Molasses." http://www.wisegeek.com/home.htm. Wise Geek, n.d. Wednesday, August 10, 2011.