Modern Maple includes 75 recipes, as well as information about the fascinating history of maple syrup. It also has easy instructions on how to tap the maples in your yard, using inexpensive supplies available from any hardware store. Maple season generally begins anywhere from the end of February through mid-March in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. You don't need acres of trees to make your own maple syrup; even if you've got only one or two maples, you should give it a try next spring!
Maple Crispy Bars
18 servings
When I decided to try using maple syrup in the traditional
rice crispy bar recipe, I looked online for ideas, figuring that there would
all kinds of maple versions out there. Surprisingly, there weren’t; the few I
found that use maple syrup also included chocolate chips, white chocolate, brown
sugar and other add-ins, which I didn’t want to try. So I decided to simply
cook the maple syrup and butter together to caramelize it a bit before adding
the marshmallows. The mellow caramel flavor is a nice addition to the
traditional treats.
6 cups crisp rice cereal
1/3 cup maple syrup
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter
4 cups mini marshmallows
Coat the inside of a very large mixing bowl and a
13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Add the rice cereal to the mixing
bowl. In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, combine syrup and butter. Cook over
medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until butter melts and
mixture turns bubbly. Continue to cook for 2 minutes longer, stirring
constantly. Reduce heat to low and stir for about 30 seconds longer, then add
the marshmallows and cook, stirring constantly, until the marshmallows melt and
the mixture is smooth. Immediately scrape into the mixing bowl with the cereal
and stir to mix thoroughly.
Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread out
as best you can, then use a sheet of waxed paper to press the mixture evenly and
firmly into the pan (or coat your hands with cooking spray and use them
instead of the waxed paper). Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into 18 pieces—3 the
long way and 6 across. Let cool completely in baking dish before transferring
individual pieces to a serving plate. These bars are best the day they are made, but
can be stored in an airtight container for a day or two; they can also be
frozen in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers.
Candied Bacon
4 servings (pictured at right with Cranberry-Maples Scones, also from Modern Maple)
Candied bacon is a fairly recent “blogosphere phenomenon”
that is usually made with brown sugar. Maple syrup is even better, and takes
this decadent but simple preparation to another level. The recipe is written
for ½ pound of bacon, but it’s easy to change the amount since
the preparation is so simple. You might want to make extra and use the cooled,
crumbled candied bacon to top ice cream, stir into muffin batter, add to sandwiches
or burgers, mix in with cookie dough (especially chocolate chip cookies), or
sprinkle over salad or thick soup.
1/2 pound thick-sliced bacon (8–9 slices)
1/3 cup maple syrup
Position oven rack in center of oven, and heat to 400°F.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil, bringing it up at the sides to form a lip,
then place a wire cooling rack on the lined sheet. Arrange bacon in a
single layer on the rack, keeping slices separate. Bake for 10 minutes, then
remove from oven and use tongs to turn bacon over. Use a pastry brush to dab
maple syrup liberally over the bacon, using about one-third of the syrup. Bake
for 7 minutes, then remove from oven. Use tongs to turn the bacon; brush the
bacon with half of the remaining syrup. Return to oven and bake for 7 minutes,
then remove, turn the bacon and brush with remaining syrup. Return to oven and
bake for 4 to 7 minutes longer, or until edges are crisp and bacon looks glazed.
Remove from oven and let stand for about 3 minutes to allow the glaze to set,
then transfer bacon to a serving plate. (If you don’t remove the bacon after a
few minutes, it will stick to the rack—and don’t even think about lining the
serving plate with paper towels!) Serve immediately; refrigerate leftovers.
Recipes copyright (c) Teresa Marrone, 2013; from Modern Maple (Minnesota Historical Society Press)
Other recipes in Modern Maple use maple syrup in ways both traditional and unexpected. Here is a list of a few, including breakfast, breads, salads, main courses, desserts and beverages, that work well this time of year.
Other recipes in Modern Maple use maple syrup in ways both traditional and unexpected. Here is a list of a few, including breakfast, breads, salads, main courses, desserts and beverages, that work well this time of year.
- English Muffin and Berry “Hash”
- Northland Sweet Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
- No-Knead Oatmeal-Sunflower Focaccia (pictured at right)
- Cardamom-Maple Swirl Bread
- Beet, Fennel and Winter Fruit Salad
- Watercress and Grilled Pear Salad with Serrano Ham and Gorgonzola (photo below)
- Pizza with Brie, Caramelized Onions, Basil and Maple (photo here)
- Baby Back Ribs with Maple Glaze (see the recipe in an earlier blog entry)
- Apple-Pear Pandowdy with Cranberries
- Profiteroles (Mini Cream Puffs) with Maple Cream
- Bacon-Infused Bourbon with Maple
- Mulled Apple-Maple Cider
If you've found my blog because you're looking for recipes and cookbooks, you may also be interested in some morel recipes I posted in May: Pan-Fried Fish with Morels, and Morels and Oyster Mushrooms with Dumplings. A list of other my books is here. This year, I completed work on a field ID guide, Mushrooms of the Upper Midwest (co-authored with Kathy Yerich); the book will be out in March. Right now I'm also finishing review of the proofs for The Beginner's Guide to Making and Using Dried Foods, to be published in 2014 by Storey Publications.
