Maple has been used in cooking for over a century and through the years the recipes using maple have changed.
Candace Page, a contributor to the Savorvore Section of the Burlington Free Press, recently took a look at three contemporary cookbooks that highlighted the ways to bring maple into the kitchen. One book was Maple by Katie Webster, a Vermont-based recipe developer.
"Webster's cook book in particular broadened my horizons," Page said. "She doesn't limit her use of maple to pancakes and desserts. She uses maple in salad dressing, in main courses, in soup, quite often in very modest quantities."
Of all the recipes she tried from Webster's cookbook, Page said her favorites were a waffle recipe that had maple in the batter and a maple whiskey sour.
Maple Meyer Lemon Whiskey Sour (From Maple by Katie Webster, Quirk Books, 2015)
½ cup bourbon
¼ teaspoon powdered egg whites
4 cups ice, divided
3 shakes angostura bitters
1/3 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
¼ dark pure maple syrup, preferably dark amber
Pinch salt
2 lemon twists
Whisk bourbon and egg whites in a cocktail shaker to dissolve the powder. Add 2 cups ice, bitters, lemon juice, syrup, and salt. Cover and shake vigorously about 45 seconds, until egg whites are completely dissolved and the shaker is cold. Divide remaining 2 cups of ice between two lowball or Old Fashioned glasses. Strain into glasses. Garnish each with a lemon twist and serve.
Cornmeal Waffles with Wild Blueberries (From Maple by Katie Webster, Quirk Books, 2015)
Ingredients:
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
¾ cup cornmeal
¼ cup dark maple syrup, plus more for serving
1 cup white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or melted coconut oil
1 cup wild blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw)
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, cornmeal and ¼ cup maple syrup. Set aside for 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight, to allow the cornmeal to soften.
Preheat waffle iron.
In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk egg yolks and butter into cornmeal mixture. Stir dry mixture into cornmeal mixture until combined.
In a medium bowl, use clean beaters to beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into batter. Gently stir in blueberries.
Coat waffle iron with nonstick spray or brush with oil. Bake waffles according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve warm with maple syrup.
Makes 6 waffles.
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