This recipe comes from our friends in Canada.  If you like cookies at all you will like these, trust me.

- 170 g butter at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup
- 150 g brown sugar
- 1 large pinch of sea salt
- 1 egg
- 280 g flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 50 g of beads Valrhona chocolate
- 50 g of beads crunchy Valrhona
- 50 g chopped pecans

1 ° / Beat butter and maple syrup to obtain a creamy mixture. Add sugar and sea salt and whisk again and then the egg and whisk again.

2 / Using a spatula, stir in flour and baking powder and chocolate and pecans.

3 / Make two rolls with the dough and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours (2 days. Beyond that, the dough can be frozen for later use).

4 ° / Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Cut the sausages into slices of pasta 1 / 2 inch thick and arrange on a plate-stick. Bake about ten minutes (cookies should be golden, but remain soft).

TIPS:
- if you’re not blessed with Valrhona pearls, a chocolate type Crunch cut into chips may well do the trick. Or try the Kit Kat Ball.
- to whip the softened butter, spoon magic is really miraculous.

Chocolate Maple Syrup Pecan Cookies is a post from: Maple Syrup Source

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Because it’s good for you, It tastes good, and it’s organic.  Read on…

Maple syrup generally comes in 3 grades.  The darkest grade, also the grade produced latest in the season is grade b maple syrup. Experts agree that late season maple trees produce the thickest syrup with the highest concentrations of sugar and nutrients.  Combine this rich sap with organic syrup making techniques and you have a powerfully sweet yet nutritious liquid.

Many necessary nutrients are found in organic grade b maple syrup.  The list is long and includes manganeese, zinc, niacin, folic acid, and biotin among others.  These nutrients aide the body in essential functions such as metabolizing cholesterol and fatty acids, boosting the immune system, and preventing damage to blood vessels caused by oxidzed cholesterol.  (see a full profile)

Dark, grade b syrup also has a desirable carbohydrate or sugar profile with little fructose, in contrast with high-fructose corn syrup.  Corn syrup is a hidden, processed, unhealthy sugar hidden in many processed foods.  You can avoid fructose completely by insisting on the real stuff.

Producing maple syrup is very labor intensive task,  Even with modern equipment.  Some less scrupulous producers will resort to shortcuts to save costs.  Shortcuts like using paraformeldahyde tablets to prevent the tap in the tree from clogging up.  This poison can make its way into the finished product and can harm trees.

Less of a danger today but something to be aware of is the potential for the presence of lead.  Some pans and collector buckets have seams and joints with lead solder.  The risk issimilar to the risk caused by water pipes with lead solder.  An organic operation will take care to use lead-free pans, buckets, and other containers exclusively.

Unlike commercial pancake syrup found everywhere from grocery stores to restaurants, grade b maple syrup is organic, vegan, and generally produced using sustainable methods.  Yes, commercial syrup is much less expensive.  It also containts preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, bad carbohydrates and much lower concentrations of vitamins and minerals.  It  really isn’t a contest.

If there is a downside using real syrup it is price and availability.  But now, through the internet, it is possible to obtain real grade b maple syrup at very good prices.

Why Insist on Organic Grade B Maple Syrup? is a post from: Maple Syrup Source

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Sugar.  It certainly pleases the palate but it has also become a public enemy.  How can we possibly get rid of this dependency when over 60% of processed products contains sugar or high fructose corn syrup?

The dark side of white sugar

White sugar is produced from cane juice (from sugar cane) or from sugar beets. The juice is neutralized, heated, bleached, filtered, and recolored leaving behind processed white sugar.  This refined sugar is stripped of its vitamins, minerals, and trace elements forcing the body to draw on its mineral reserves to digest.

Excessive consumption of sugar is therefore a major cause of acidification, osteoporosis and tooth decay. The lack of fiber causes a rapid increase of sugar in the blood (ie, glycemic index – the sucrose is 100) followed by a drop in blood sugar. This drop creates a craving for sugar. The sweet snack momentarily calms the stomach, mind, emotion and stress triggers but long-term addiction is the the cause of hypoglycemia, diabetes, obesity, anxiety, migraines or the hyperactivity. Sugar also affects the immune system since it nourishes the intestinal pathogen and weakens the leukocyte. Did you know that a normal leukocyte neutralizes 14 bacteria? After the consumption of 6 teaspoons of sugar, it canhandle more than 10 bacteria, 5.5 bacteria after 12 teaspoons, and only 2 bacteria after 18 teaspoons; after 24 teaspoons (one cookie and a banana split ), the leukocyte is virtually inactive. Eat white sugar, a muffin, sweetened yougurt, candy for the throat,etc,  when you’re sick and you are doing your immune system a great disservice.

Finding hidden sugars

According to statistics, the direct consumption of granulated white sugar (coffee, tea, etc..) decreased over the past 40 years, while sugary processed products now occupy a more prominent place on the shelves of our supermarkets. In Quebec, Canada, from 1986 to 2001 there was an explosion of sugary processed foods.  Consumption of soft drinks grew 30%, chocolate 48%, sweets 100%, and fruit drinks 159%! If the consumption of sugar in homes and restaurants has declined, it is because the food industry has introduced synthetic sugars (eg aspartame and acesulfame potassium) for obtaining sweets without calories. Products that are low fat and low sugar and also high in poison!

In addition to sucrose, processed products often contain fructose, corn syrup, maltose, glucose syrup, etc. Generally, products ending in-ose are sugars. For example corn syrup is produced from starch starch treated with sulfuric acid at high temperature. The starch is transformed into dextrin and glucose. The addition of calcium carbonate can then remove the sulfuric acid.   Appetizing ? Avoid corn syrup, which besides being refined is often derived from transgenic crops. Molasses is a byproduct of the refining of sucrose. It is devoid of fiber and concentrated in minerals and pesticides. Brown sugar or brown sugar is simply white sugar colored with molasses. Although fructose is produced fruit, it loses its nutritional value when it is refined. As for polyols (eg sorbitol and mannitol) that you find mostly in confectionery, medicines and chewing gum, are produced mostly industrially by catalytic hydrogenation of various sugars.

Sweetened Naturally

In the case of beverages such as tea, coffee or tea, it is best to reduce and then completely remove all sweetness to allow your metabolism to shed gradually from this dependence. As for desserts, you can substitute white sugar with honey, maple syrup, Stevia, sugar full, jam, bananas, blackberries, seasonal fruits, fresh dates, dried fruit (raisins dried apricots, figs), stewed fruit or grape juice.

• Honey is a complex mixture of fructose (40%), glucose (30%), maltose (6%), sucrose (5%), water, organic acids, trace elements and vitamins minerals. Honey has been known for millennia for its medicinal properties. This is an excellent tonic, sedative, antifungal and antibiotic. Its high potassium content helps the body’s alkaline balance.Choose unpasteurized honey. Treat yourself to the different flavors available at the Museum of the bee.

• Maple syrup may be preferred in Quebec because it is always best to consume the products of our region. Maple syrup contains mainly sucrose (64.8%), water (34.54%), minerals and organic acids. Choose organic products.

• Stevia is a plant native to the valley of the Rio Monday in north-eastern Paraguay. The presence of glycosides (Stevioside, and Rebaudioside dulcoside) gives it a sweetness intensity (15 times higher than table sugar). It is particularly suitable for diabetics since it does not cause a rise in blood sugar. It is available in powder and liquid form (best taste).

• Sugar is full of pure sugar cane juice, unrefined and unheated. The juice is simply crushed and then filtered. Full sugar contains 1700 mg of minerals per 100g per 380g of sugar for brown sugar and white sugar to 40g. Besides potassium (850 mg/100 g), magnesium (140 mg/100g), calcium (110 mg/100g), phosphorus (47 mg/100g) and iron (4 mg/100 g), sugar contains full vitamins required for its assimilation. The presence of minerals do not justify the complete consumption of sugar as a source of minerals!These data only allow you to understand why the demineralized sugar does not complete the body.

• A jam made of fruits and grape juice (Ex Dalfour or kind) for your recipes for muffins, cookies or cake

Here is the Solution

• The first step is to make changes in your three main meals. For breakfast eat a solid  mix of a good source of protein (yogurt, egg farms, cheese, Cottage cheese, soy milk sugar free), fruit (fiber, vitamins and minerals, and antioxidant enzyme) of whole grains that are unrefined (good sugars, fiber) and good fats (almond butter, nuts).  These give you energy and vitality and eliminate the need for snacks at 11am. If you love coffee, try to limit yourself to a cup. For snacks, choose the combination fruit / yogurt, fruit / nuts, cheese / veggies. Add flax seed in your yogurt and cheese to slow absorption of sugars. Lunch and dinner must contain a good portion of vegetables, high quality protein, good carbohydrate and good fat. Drink something good between meals! The signal of thirst is often confused with the signal of hunger. Stir white grape juice to your water (one third of 100% natural juice up) to avoid hypoglycemia phases.

• The second step is to remove the obvious sources of sugar: sodas, flavored milk, juices, pastries and sweets.

• The third step (and the hardest!) Is to remove the hidden sugars. To do this you need some patience and read the labels carefully. The easiest and healthiest is phasing out processed foods. To do this, you must discover pleasure in your preparing your own meals.

Honey granola

• 3 cups Spelt flakes
• 1 ½ coconut grated
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• ¼ cup flax seeds
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup honey
• ¼ cup grapeseed oil

Muffin recipe dates and orange

• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• 1 orange
• ½ cup dates
• 1 egg
• ½ cup grapeseed oil
• 1 ½ cup flour Spelt or Kamut
• 2 tablespoons tea baking powder without aluminum

Preheat oven to 400 ° F

Blend the orange cut into 4, orange juice and pitted dates

Add egg and oil and mix until liquid

Mix dry ingredients

Add the liquid mixture and mix lightly

Bake in muffin pan for 15 to 20 minutes

Mix all ingredients and bake at 350 degrees on a cookie sheet. Return to grill both sides.Add 1 cup of grapes when the mixture is cold.

Enjoy your muesli with almond milk or sprinkle your yogurt this delicious blend! Bon Appetit.

- The glycemic index (GI) foods is classified according to the elevation of glucose in the blood. The food is considered “hyperglycaemic” when the glycemic index is greater than 50.

Good Luck!

Refined Sugar is Poisoning You is a post from: Maple Syrup Source

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Once you acquire the taste you might find there are a lot of every day uses for real maple syrup.  Instead of the usual longer, more involved recipes, here are a few short recipes and uses for maple syrup:

Orleans Island Cocktail

• 1 liter apple juice
• 25 cl martini dry
• 125ml pure maple syrup
• 1 oz rum

Combine all ingredients and serve with crushed ice.

Maple Vinnegrette

• 30ml pure maple syrup
• 15ml horseradish mustard
• 60ml red wine vinegar
• 80ml olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Combine all of the ingredients, refrigerate, and serve with raw vegetables or over a salad.

Pork Chops with Apples and Maple Syrup

• 6 pork chops
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 large apple peeled and cut into 6 slices
• 125ml apple juice
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp coffee tarragon
• salt and pepper

Remove the excess fat from the pork chops.  Heat the butter and maple syrup in a large skillet.  Brown the chops on both sides and then place in a baking dish.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  In the same skillet, saute onion slices for 1 minute and place over pork chops and apple slices.  Deglazethe pan with apple juice and add Dijon mustard and tarragon.  Pour over pork chops.  Cover loosely with foil and bake at 180 C for about 45 minutes.

Fried Potatoes with Maple Syrup

Saute apples in butter.  When nearly cooked add maple syrup to caramelize.  Serve warm with a scoop of nice vanilla ice cream.

For Dessert

Add to yogurt or to any dairy product.  Add to jam.

Eggs in Maple Syrup

Cook eggs like normal but add maple syrup to the pan.  Works great either scrambled or fried.

Cooking Meats

Cook meat until it is about 85% done and simply pour on maple syrup.  The syrup will mix with the meat juices while the meat finished cooking.

Expand from there.  Hopefully that gave you some new ideas.

Let’s hear it, how do you use maple syrup?

Common Uses for Maple Syrup is a post from: Maple Syrup Source

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Maple syrup brings out the sweet flavor of the carrots using this really easy recipe.  Try it with pork chops.  Makes 6 servings and takes a total of about 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs (1 kg) carrots, peeled, cut on the bias into sticks 1 / 4 inch (5 mm) thick (about 12 carrots)
• 1 / 2 cup (125 ml) vegetable stock or chicken stock
• 1 / 4 cup (60 mL) maple syrup
• 1 tsp to tab (15 ml) butter
• 2 tablespoons to tab (30 ml) chopped walnuts, toasted

Instructions

1. In a skillet or saucepan bring the vegetable broth, maple syrup, and butter to a boil.  Make sure you to stir well.  Cover, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 more minutes.

2. Uncover and increase the heat to high until boiling.  Stir occasionally for six minutes or until the carrots are tender and appear glazed.  The liquid will have mostly evaporated.  Sprinkle with walnuts and serve immediately.

To toast walnuts, spread them on a baking tray and bake in preheated 350 ° F (180 C) for about 5 minutes or until browned and fragrant.  Don’t burn them!

Enjoy.

Maple Glazed Carrots is a post from: Maple Syrup Source

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Invented in the late 1930′s by Don Beach of Hollywood, this strong drink is usually made from fruit juices, liqueurs, and various types of rum.  As the story goes, Don often made it for one of the regulars to his Beachcomber restaurant.  The man left on a week long trip after having three large Zombies and upon his return he declared that he’d become the “living dead” for the entire length of his trip.  And so the Zombie was named and to this day customers are limited to only two Zombies per visit.

There are hundreds of different versions of the Zombie.  Some with Cognac, some containing brandy, but all include rum, the secret of the Zombie.  So many variations have come and gone it is difficult to say which variations were created when and who created them.  This simple variation below uses maple syrup.

Don used rum not typically available in the USA so unless you can take a Caribbean trip you are going to have to find substitutes.

Dons Original Zombie

• 3 oz water
• 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
• 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz sugar syrup
• 1 oz dark rum
• 1 oz gold rum
• 1 oz white rum
• 1 oz overproof rum
• 1 1/4 oz spiced rum
• 3/4 oz Cherry Heering
• 1/2 oz Falernum syrup
• 2 dashes (1/2 tsp) Pernod
• 3 dashes (3/4 tsp) Grenadine

Shake all ingredients (except the overproof rum) with ice. Strain into a hurricane glass filled with ice. Float the overproof rum on top by pouring it over the back of a spoon. Garnish with pineapple wedge and cherry. Find a very comfortable place to sit down and relax.

If you find yourself short on the necessary ingredients of Falernum and Heering, don’t despair. Wake the dead with this simplified version of the classic.

Easy Zombie

• 1 oz light rum
• 1 oz gold rum
• 1 oz dark rum
• 1 oz apricot brandy
• 2 oz grade a maple syrup
• 1 dash (1/4 tsp) Grenadine
• 1/2 oz overproof rum

Shake all ingredients (except the overproof rum) with ice. Strain into any tall glass filled with ice. Float the overproof rum on top by pouring it over the back of a spoon. Avoid operating heavy machinery.

Maple Zombie is a post from: Maple Syrup Source

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A convenient crockpot recipe for Quebecois style pea soup.  Similar to the pea soup that is a staple in the sugar shacks (cabane à sucre) of Quebec.

Prepare this before you go to work and have wonderful pea soup ready for you for dinner!  This version takes 9 hours of cooking on low but requires little to no monitoring.

• 1 pound (about 2 cups) yellow peas, dried
• ½ lb. salt pork
• 12 cups chicken broth
• 3 medium onions, chopped (5-6 tbsp of dehydrated onions could substitute)
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 or 3 bay leaves
• 1 handful of celery leaves, minced
• 1 tsp savory tea (1 / 2 tsp, dried)

Wash and drain peas. Place in a saucepan of boiling water 6 cups. Bring to a boil, boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to wait for 1 hour.
Rinse the peas, put in large pot or slow cooker, add the ingredients and cook on hi for 2 to 3 hours or 9 hours on low. After cooking add salt and pepper.

Bon appetite

* It will be more consistent after chilling.

Classic Pea Soup is a post from: Maple Syrup Source

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Easy microwave maple pudding!  This one was one of my experiments cooking with a microwave.  Now, I am normally use the microwave to reheat left-overs and not to prepare a nice dessert which is why I was so surprised this turned out so well.  The taste of butter mixes very nicely with the sweetness of the maple syrup.

Prepare this at the last minute and serve warm!  Serves 4 people.

Ingredients:

• 175 g softened butter
• 175 g caster sugar
• 6 tablespoons vanilla soy milk
• 175 g flour
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons real maple syrup + supplement to accompany
• Toasted chopped walnuts to garnish

Mix the butter + sugar + milk + flour + baking powder + eggs + 1 tablespoon of maple syrup in a mixer. Mix until a creamy preparation.

The mixture can also be whisked together in a bowl.  Ultimately the mixture should be creamy and fluffy, not liquidy.

Pour remaining maple syrup in a lightly oiled plastic bowl (make sure it is microwave safe!) that can take about 1.2 liters of liquid. Add on top of the creamy preparation prepared beforehand.

Place in microwave, 650W for 10 minutes (watch the cooking, it may take more or less time depending on the microwave).

Check for doneness: a knife planted in the heart of the pudding should come out clean.

Let the pudding sit for a few minutes off the microwave and invert onto a warm serving dish: the syrupy side and top is golden. Garnish with chopped walnuts and drizzle around the edge of a net of maple syrup.

Easy Maple Pudding is a post from: Maple Syrup Source

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This is wonderful bread recipe, one of my favorites.

Ingredients:

• 350 ml of water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup
• 3 teaspoons of milk powder
• 25 g butter
• 400 g flour
• 200 g whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons dried yeast
• 60 g pecans

Place the light at the bottom of the tank. Measure ingredients accurately and put them in the pan in the order recommended by manufacturer.

Select the chosen program. Beep to add pecans coarsely chopped

I prefer to bake. If you also prefer, put all ingredients (except pecans) in the bowl of your bread machine, program and use the dough. When the kneading and first rise is complete, flip the dough on your work plan, degas it and stir in pecans. Put the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let rise a second time, until the volume doubles. (Or so).

Bake in a preheated oven at 400 ° F for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool on rack.

Maple Syrup Pecan Bread is a post from: Maple Syrup Source

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The is a typical dessert you might share with friends in Quebec. Of course being in Quebec we use maple sugar made from the famous Canadian maple tree instead of cane sugar in this classic French dessert.

Ingredients to this updated French/Quebec classic:

• 6 egg yolks (just the yolk)
• 4 1/4 tbsp (60 g) of granulated maple sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cups (180 ml) milk
• 1/3 cup (65 ml) maple syrup
• 2 cups (500 mL) cream
• 1 tsp cornstarch

The maple sugar will caramelize just like the replace cane sugar would but imparts a distinct maple-y taste giving it an exquisite smell and flavor.  You can melt the maple sugar in the oven but results will be better using a torch.  (Check out this youtube video for the basic technique)

Chef’s Culinary Torch

Maple Sugar Creme Brulee is a post from: Maple Syrup Source

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