During maple syrup season (aka spring) there are always dribs and drabs of syrup sitting around that I need to use up … bits that are leftover after bottling since it never works out evenly. And so I make stuff with it. And no one complains. Currently there are 4 partially filled jars of syrup on my window sill that I need to use up. It’s a horrible problem to have, isn’t it?
In this post I will share FIVE of my favourite recipes for using up maple syrup. (There are more, but I’m limiting myself today.)
Top usage, of course, is as syrup. DUH. Around here we pour it on pancakes, waffles and french toast – but we don’t leave any on the plate. That kind of waste of the golden elixir is strictly prohibited. My dad used to always pour it on vanilla ice cream and bananas, but none of my kids have found that to be particularly appetizing. They do love weekend breakfasts that involve maple syrup… with pancakes, waffles, or french toast. Any of those will do. They’re all quick and easy, and adding a bit of fruit makes me feel like I’m not a bad mother.
(I threw a hydrotherm photo in there for you scientific sorts.)
Here’s the pancake recipe – it’s so quick and easy. You may just never use a boxed mix again. We shall see.
- 1 cup all purpose flour (a little less if unsifted)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk, soured
- 3 Tbsp. melted butter (you can use margarine or shortening, but why?)
- Mix dry ingredients together.
- Beat eggs. Add milk and melted butter.
- Add wet to dry. Mix. Add more milk if you are making waffles.
- Let sit a bit, then make your pancakes as you do!
And I showed you the brilliant maple bars a while back. They keep well for a few days and impress the hell out of anyone who shows up at the door for a cuppa.
This year Dave at Squirrel Creek Farm Services (best place to get all of your maple syrup supplies) gave us a new ‘all things maple’ cookbook and there’s a pretty lovely muffin recipe in there. I figured it was just perfect this week for Wendy. The first time I made them they were a bit ‘meh’ … they seemed a bit dry. I definitely made them too small. I was more careful with baking time, added better apple (granny smith this time) and watched my mixing technique just in case that was the culprit. Waddayaknow, they turned out pretty freaking AWESOME! (You really should make them. Who doesn’t have maple syrup and an apple laying around?)
- 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 egg whiles, lightly beaten
- 1 cup chopped apple (granny smith are awesome)
- pecan halves or pieces for the top
- Glaze
- 3 Tbsp icing sugar
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Prep your muffin tins (butter, spray or line with paper cups).
- Combine first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
- In a separate bowl combine milk, butter, maple syrup and egg whites.
- Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and toss the apple bits in there too.
- Stir only until moistened. DO NOT overmix. Thank you.
- Fill to top of muffin cups - you'll have about 9 big muffins.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Blend together the sugar and maple syrup. Drizzle over the muffins when they are cool. Toss a couple of pecans on there and drizzle again for good luck.
I love to serve it with a ginger pound cake. It’s a great combo. I’ll do a post about that another time …
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup whipping cream
- Heat the maple syrup until bubbly.
- Separate two eggs.
- Put the egg yolks in the top of a double boiler and whisk thoroughly.
- Add hot syrup. Whisk until it thickens to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- Cool.
- Beat egg whites until stiff.
- Whip cream until firm.
- Combine all three and mix.
- Put in a dish and freeze.
- Take the mousse out of the freezer and put it into the fridge one hour before serving.
- This is a good recipe to make the day ahead!