Nutritional Data for SWEETS; HONEY, STRAINED OR EXTRACTED As you'll see Maple sugar/syrup got lots more good stuff in it than mere honey.
Sugar (including brown) is basically empty of all nutrients except calories of um, ah, sugar. So eat 'em up, below, here, if you can get some maple sugar/syrup! Of course it's fattening, it's sugar, ain't it? But it's got a lot of potassium and suchlike good stuff. Say, I'm getting kinda hungry working on these pages....
OK I just went and had a coffee custard-with-bitter chocolate eclair from the (no kidding) health food co-op. Chocolate custard would be more traditional but they were out.
Round cream-style candies
1 cup maple sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp almond extract
Walnut meats
Cook sugars and water together to 240° (soft-ball stage), add almond extract. Cool to lukewarm then beat vigorously until creamy-firm. Knead on cold, smooth surface (marble candy board or use a cookie sheet) until smooth. Form into small balls, press walnut half into each.
14-minute Maple Fudge
4 cups maple syrup
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped nut meats
1 tsp lemon extract
Starting cold, cook maple syrup, cream and butter together at a gentle boil for 9 minutes after boiling point is reached. Remove from heat, add nut meats and lemon, stir vigorously with wooden spoon for 5 minutes. Pour into buttered pans. When cool cut in squares.
Maple Milk Fizz, makes 6 8-oz glasses
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 quart milk
12 oz bottle ginger ale
Add maple syrup to milk, mix very well, perhaps use blender. Pour into tall glasses (about 2/3 full) and fill remainder with ginger ale. Good way to get kids to drink more milk.
Quick Maple Upside-down Pudding, serves 4
1 cup maple syrup
2 tsp baking powder
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/4 tsp salt
3 tablespoons brown (or maple) sugar
1 cup sifted flour
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
Heat maple syrup to boiling and pour into bottom of buttered baking dish. Cream shortening, add sugar, cream together until fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and add alternately with milk in small amounts beating well. Pour batter into hot syrup and bake in hot (420°) oven for 25 minutes, turn upside-down onto serving plate, garnish with chopped nuts, whipped cream. Or serve like a puddling in bowls with nuts and plain cream to pour on it.
Copyright 1995, Paula Giese