Maple Syrup ~ not just for Pancakes, you know!

The beautiful flavour of maple syrup goes brilliantly with bacon, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin and squash, ice cream, pancakes, waffles, French toast and lots more, read on!

Maple syrup is one of my favourite sweet flavours, it’s almost up there with chocolate! Real maple syrup is, of course, gorgeous but expensive so I generally use Clarks Original Maple Syrup & Carob Fruit Blend (this is not advertising, and they don’t know I’ve said that!). It is fine for both drizzling and cooking purposes and tastes great too.

Maple Glazed Bacon

Brush bacon rashers with maple syrup and grill or pop into a medium oven till crisp.

Maple Butter

Simply mix together a tablespoon of maple syrup and 60g of soft butter. Add crispy bacon crumbs, toasted pecans or other nuts, if you fancy, and use on toast, pancakes, waffles, scones etc.

Maple Syrup Scones

Makes 6-8 normal sized scones. or 4 embarrassingly large ones, the recipe can easily be doubled.

A handful of coarsely chopped pecans or crunchy bits of bacon are a good addition to these, stir into the mix before adding the milk and syrup.

225g/8oz self-raising flour
OR
225g/8oz plain flour + 1 rounded tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
60g/2½oz cold butter or margarine
1 tablespoon caster sugar
80ml/2½ fl oz milk
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
+ another tablespoon of maple syrup!

~   Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/180C fan/gas 6.
~   Stir together the flour, salt and baking powder (if using).
~   Add the butter or margarine and “rub in” with your fingers until a breadcrumb texture is achieved.
~   Stir in the sugar (and any additions as mentioned above) once you have finished rubbing in; if you add it earlier it’s uncomfortable on the hands although, of course, it does exfoliate.
~   Add the milk and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and mix in, by hand is easiest, add a little more milk if too dry or a little more flour if too wet – work just enough to form a soft dough.
~   On a floured surface press or roll the dough out to about 1½cm/½” thick and using a cookie cutter cut into rounds. Or you could cut into squares which are easier and more economical on time: no re-rolling. They look quite good too.
~   Transfer the scones to a greased baking try, and bake till risen and golden – about 15 minutes.
~   Brush them with the final tablespoon of syrup and allow to cool a little.
~   Transfer to a cooling rack till needed.

Best eaten warm with butter or clotted cream.

Similar-ish to these are …

Grand-Père – a superb Canadian dish

Serves 2-3

These are simply little dumplings simmered in diluted maple syrup. By the time they are cooked the syrup has concentrated back into a glorious sticky goo which coats the dumplings and makes you happy!

~   In a broad pan with a lid bring 350ml/12 fl oz each of maple syrup and water to a fast simmer.
~   Make the dough and divide into walnut sized pieces.
~   Gently drop the dumplings into the simmering syrup, turn down the heat and put the lid on.
~   Simmer for about 10 minutes till risen and firm when gently poked.
~   Lift gently onto plates, sprinkle with optional chopped pecans and dollop with clotted cream.
~   Eat immediately.

Maple Syrup Ice Cream

This is probably the easiest ice cream recipe you will ever meet and the results are lush!

These two ice creams are based on my “genius” no churn ice cream recipe which I have actually written a whole book about – Luscious Ice Cream without a Machine – it also includes a recipe for Smoky Bacon & Maple Syrup Ice Cream.

Maple Glazed Pecans

These are sweet, sticky and delicious.

60g pecan halves
1 tablespoon maple syrup
pinch of salt- optional

~   Preheat a heavy frying pan and add the pecans.
~   Stir around a bit to let them get used to the heat then add maple syrup.
~   Stir constantly so they don’t burn.
~   When the syrup has evaporated and sticks to the nuts decant them onto a silicon mat or waxed paper to cool.

More Simple Ideas for Maple Syrup

~   Drizzle over pancakes and waffles, of course, also ice cream, yogurt, breakfast cereal, porridge etc.
~   Add to smoothies and milkshakes or simply stir into a glass of cold milk.
~   Brush warm maple syrup onto fresh out of the oven cakes and bakes to glaze.
~   Serve on toast or with scones and clotted cream – sure beats jam!
~   Stir a little into coffee.
~   Drizzle on leftover Yorkshire Puddings for breakfast – I mean it!!!
~   Add just a little to mashed sweet potatoes.
~   Drizzle over roast parsnip, squash or sweet potatoes for the last few minutes of cooking.
~   Toss with freshly popped (maybe popped in bacon fat) popcorn with perhaps a touch of butter or crunchy bacon bits.