Why is it that maple flavor seems just the thing for fall and winter?
Maybe it’s all those pictures we’ve seen of sap-harvesting buckets hanging from maple trees deep in New England’s snow. Or the fact that maple syrup is such a pal of pancakes–a rich, warming duo on a shivery morning.
Despite our love affair with maple flavor, not everybody is wild about pure maple syrup.
At an informal tasting, most people favored popular-brand syrups over the real thing, which can have a slightly bitter aftertaste.
An adult taste, you might say. Yet with Americans’ palates increasingly honed on the supersweet, even many adults don’t take to that hint of bitter in pure maple syrup.
A syrup that doesn’t claim any maple flavoring at all, Mrs. Butterworth’s, got some of the highest ratings in our tasting, partly because of its thick texture. The maple-flavored “lite” syrups didn’t fare so well, with some tasters noticing a gelatinous texture.
Our sampling was small, though, and reminded us that tastes in food vary greatly. The products also reminded us that pure maple syrup is a luxury. It’s more than two times the price of artificially flavored syrups.
But as good as syrup is with pancakes, where maple really shines is in holiday vegetable dishes and desserts.
MAPLE SUGAR-CRUSTED APPLE PIE
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Yield: 8 servings
From “Bobby Flay’s Bold American Food.”
Crust:
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons maple sugar, see note
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pea-size bits, frozen
2 tablespoons shortening, cut into pea-size bits, frozen
1/4 cup ice water
Few drops lemon juice
Apple filling:
10 to 12 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, quartered, cut into thirds
1/4 cup each: sugar, cornstarch
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup maple sugar, see note
1. For crust, combine flour, 2 tablespoons maple sugar and salt into bowl of electric mixer. Add frozen butter gradually, mixing on low speed 5 minutes, or until butter starts to break up. Add frozen shortening; mix 2 to 3 minutes. Mix ice water with lemon juice; drizzle over dough, just enough for dough to start to mass together. Let dough rest 10 minutes. Form into 2 discs; refrigerate 30 minutes. (The dough may be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated, covered.)
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees. For filling, combine apples, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg in large bowl. Add maple syrup; mix gently.
3. Roll out 1 circle of dough on floured surface; place in 10-inch pie pan. Add apple filling. Roll out second crust; lay it over filling. Crimp edges together. Brush top crust with egg wash; sprinkle with half the remaining 1/4 cup maple sugar. Cut several vents in crust.
4. Bake pie 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons maple sugar over top crust. Bake until apple filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes.
Note: If maple sugar is not available, substitute brown sugar.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories …… 520 Fat ………… 23 g Cholesterol .. 75 mg
Sodium ….. 165 mg Carbohydrates .. 76 g Protein …….. 5 g
MAPLE-GLAZED SWEET POTATOES WITH PEARS
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, halved
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon each: nutmeg, cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon each, ground: allspice, red pepper
2 ripe but firm pears, peeled, cored, quartered, cut into thin slices
1/3 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted
1. Place sweet potatoes in steamer basket set over boiling water; steam 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Cut in halves again; slice thinly.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter; stir into maple syrup in large bowl. Stir in lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, cumin, pepper, allspice and ground red pepper.
3. Add pears and sweet potatoes to maple-syrup mixture, mixing well. Transfer to buttered casserole dish.
4. Cover; bake 30 minutes, stirring once during baking time. Uncover and stir. Continue baking, uncovered, 15 minutes. Stir in pecans; dot with 1 teaspoon of the butter. Continue baking until sweet potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories …… 180 Fat …………. 7 g Cholesterol .. 11 mg
Sodium ….. 265 mg Carbohydrates .. 29 g Protein …….. 1 g
