Time is right for recipes that include maple syrup

   Recently I came across a story about the discovery of maple syrup and thought you might enjoy it. An Indian squaw is credited with discovering maple syrup.  The story says that she had just snared a rabbit and needed water in which to cook her catch. Not finding any available water she noticed sap running from a maple tree. She cooked her catch in this sweet water and it made such a hit with her men folks that they decided to tap more trees. It doesn’t say how or why they decided to concentrate the sap by boiling it down but I thought it an interesting bit of trivia. We do know that Indians used their tomahawks to make diagonal cuts in the trunk of the tree and they inserted a reed or a concave piece of bark to convey the sap to a bark trough.
   Early settlers replaced the bark with wooden spouts and used their copper or iron kettles to boil the sap down over open fires. How happy they must have been to have a source of sweetness in their new surroundings as regular sugar was as valuable as gold.
   Maple sugar and maple syrup have such a delicate flavor that they should be used carefully to bring out that flavor. You can use it in almost any recipe but because the product is so “dear” I think it should be used just for some special things.
   Maple Cream Pie is the perfect ending for a Sunday dinner. Be sure and make it enough ahead of time to allow it to cool. If you are lucky enough to have some maple sugar that can be used to sweeten the whipped cream that tops it, otherwise granulated will do.

   Preheat you oven to 400°F. Prick the bottom of the pie shell well with a fork and place in the oven. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Do not bake completely at this stage. Turn your oven down to 325°F.
   Scald (heat to 150°F.) the 1 and 1/2 cups of cream. Combine the well-beaten eggs and the maple syrup and very slowly pour the scalded cream into this mixture, stir well as you pour in the cream. Add the salt and pour the mixture into the semi-baked pie shell. Bake in the 325°F. oven for 30 minutes or until the filling has set but is still a bit “jiggly” in the center. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
   Whip the 1-cup of cream, adding the maple sugar or granulated sugar as you whip to stiff peaks. Spread the cream on the thoroughly cooled pie. This makes 8 servings.
   Another good pie is Maple Custard Pie. Be sure to follow the directions for the carefully as they are a bit different from most custard pies.

   Scald the milk (heat to 150°F’) and add it to the well beaten egg yolks that have been mixed with the maple syrup, sugar, flour and salt. Return the mixture to a saucepan and cook and stir constantly just until the mixture begins to thicken slightly.
   Beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry, and fold these egg whites into the custard mixture along with the vanilla. Pour into the uncooked 10-inch pie shell and bake in a preheated 325°F. oven until firm. This serves 6.
   A third maple pie is Maple Chiffon Pie.  It is less filling than the other two with a delicate flavor.

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1/2 cup heavy cream
   Soak the gelatin the cold water to swell the gelatin. Heat the milk, maple syrup and salt in the top of a double boiler over boiling water. Slowly pour this hot mixture over the beaten egg yolks. Return the mixture to the double boiler and stir in the soaked gelatin. Cook and stir until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and chill until partially set. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites and the first 1/2-cup of cream that has been beaten until stiff. Pour into the baked 9-inch pie shell. Chill until set and then top with the other 1/2 cup of cream that has been whipped stiff. This serves 6.
   The original gingerbreads in this country were probably made with maple syrup rather than the imported molasses. The first Maple Gingerbread is good and the second one, Rich Maple Gingerbread is just that, “rich”.

   Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and ginger. Set aside.  Beat the egg well and mix it with the sour cream and maple syrup. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir to mix well.  Turn into a greased 9-inch square pan.  Bake in a pre heated 350°F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until it tests done when a wooden pick is inserted in the center.  Serve with whipped cream as a dessert or with butter as a hot bread.

   Heat the shortening, syrup and brown sugar together in a good-sized saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour milk and beaten eggs. Add the flour, ginger, baking soda and salt that have been sifted together. Mix well and then turn into a greased 9-inch square pan. Bake in a preheated 350°F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until it tests done.
   Just about the simplest dessert of all in Maple Bread Pudding. Slices of homemade bread will give you a heartier pudding but bakery bread will work.

   Break the bread into pieces in a buttered baking dish. Pour the scalded milk over the bread. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and bake in a preheated 350°F. oven for 1 hour. Serve hot with thin cream or whipped cream.  Serves 8.
   A real maple syrup fan will like Maple Syrup Fudge. Unless you make your on syrup this would be a bit pricey to make but thought it worth including as is was a popular treat in Colonial times. Combine the maple syrup, corn syrup and cream in a saucepan. Place over a very low flame. Stir constantly until the mixture begins to boil. Continue cooking, without stirring, until a small amount of the syrup forms a soft ball in cold water. Remove from the heat and cool to lukewarm. Beat until the mixture thickens and loses its gloss. Add the vanilla and nuts and pour at once into  an 8-inch buttered pan. When cool, cut into squares.
   Finally, I have been looking for this recipe for a long time. My grandmother made this simple sauce, sometimes with maple sugar and sometimes with regular granulated sugar. Usually it was served over a piece of cake or gingerbread but sometimes over pudding.

   Mix the sugar and flour together and stir in the water gradually. Let the mixture come to a full rolling boil. Remove from t he heat and pour over the butter and beaten egg, beating vigorously with a wire whisk.  Add the vanilla. Serve this sauce hot.