Steamed Brown (Maple) Bread

In much of North America, a brown bread is just a type of whole wheat bread (usually a 10% mix), but in the Canadian Maritimes and parts of New England, brown bread is a type of white bread made with molasses. On the Care2 website, I found a recipe for Steamed Brown Bread made with Maple Syrup instead of molasses. Sounds pretty nice.

Quick While You Still Have Time: Jack 'O Lantern Quesadillas with Chipotle-Maple Pumpkin and Black Beans Recipe

Via CD Kitchen, here is an interesting recipe: Jack 'O Lantern Quesadillas with Chipotle-Maple Pumpkin and Black Beans. If you're sick of pumpkin pie (what!), these quesadillas just might be another option for those looking for more pumpkin-maple options.

Another Recipe: Maple Walnut Bars

Via Recipezaar:

This is a quick and easy bar cookie made with a cake mix crust. I was given a huge bottle of maple syrup on the condition that I make cookies and this is what I used it for. These are not overly sweet and a great fall cookie.

Today's pick is a recipe for Maple Walnut Bars. Of course, you can always start from scratch rather than using a cake mix like the recipe. As well, walnuts are nice, but I'm more of a Pecan man myself, so it might be worth doing a little substitution.

Maple Creme Caramel

Ingredients

• 500ml double cream (if none available, use whipping cream)
• 1 big vanilla pod
• 100g granulated maple sugar for the creme caramel mixture
• 6 flat teaspoons of granulated maple sugar for the topping
• 6 egg yolks
• approx. 75ml maple syrup
• canola or other light oil for greasing ramekins

Note: Use your judgement with this recipe and adjust ingredients to suit your style or diet. Double cream makes the best creme caramels, but it is incredibly fatty. Most of the ingredients are adjustable so you'll still have a very nice creme caramel, don't be afraid to experiment.

Pour the cream into a saucepan. Split the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the cream. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for about 5 minutes.

Whisk the egg yolks and maple sugar together in a large bowl to blend. Bring the cream back to a boil, adding the egg mixture, whisking all the time until thick.

You are going to need six "3/4-cup" custard cups or ramekins, lightly grease the cups with oil. Pour a little maple syrup into the bottom of each (enough to cover the bottom + up to 1 Tbsp. per custard cup more). Arrange the cups on a baking pan.

Make sure you strain the egg mixture through a fine sieve, then divide mixture into the cups. Before placing in the oven, pour into the baking pan enough warm water to come halfway up the sides of the cups.

Place the pan on the middle shelf and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the custard sets, it should still be a bit wobbly in the middle. A fork inserted into the creme should come out clean. Avoid overbaking or the custard will become rubbery. Remove from the water and allow the cups to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Chill overnight if possible.

When you’re ready to serve, sprinkle one level teaspoon of maple sugar evenly over the surface of each creme cup.

If you are brave, you can caramelize the maple sugar with a blowtorch.

If you aren't that brave, preheat the broiler. Place the dishes on a baking sheet. Broil for about 2 minutes (rotating the sheet twice for even cooking) or until the sugar begins to caramelize.

Chill until the caramelized sugar hardens.

For a change, you can make "Maple" Crema Catalana by using a stick of cinnamon instead of the vanilla pod.

Serve and enjoy.

A. Y. Jackson's The Red Maple

A. Y. Jackson was one of a group of Canadian painters (seven at first) --all highly influenced by the Impressionist movement-- who became Canada's most important art movement. When I was younger, one of the art projects we were given was to reproduce a painting by the Group of Seven. A humbling task, given the talent of these painters, able to suggest a storm, a forest, or a river with just a few flecks of paint.

The Group (along with Tom Thompson, who died just before the Group formed) frequently travelled along Georgian Bay and in Algonquin Park, which are in the vicinity of Sweet Marie's neck of the woods. Eventually they moved far afield to British Columbia and Nova Scotia in search of ever more rugged landscapes. Their numbers expanded beyond the original seven and they became the Canadian Group of Painters.

CBC Digital Archives hosts "The Group of Seven: Painters in the Wilderness" a video series about the Group of Seven

More Maple Music

On the theme of great maple songs, one of my favourites is "Love and Maple Syrup" by Gordon Lightfoot:

Love and maple syrup go together

Like the sticky winds of winter when they meet

When lonely lovers come to rest

Beneath the trees they do their best

But still they can't be free

I first found the song on his "Summer Side of Life" album, but apparently it was originally written for a 1969 Canadian musical also called "Love and Maple Syrup". The musical featured five Lightfoot songs, as well as songs by Joni Mitchell and Ian and Sylvia. Who knew?

Maple Syrup Time

A tribute album to Pete Seeger called "If I Had a Song: The Songs of Pete Seeger, Vol. 2" has Canadian band, Moxy Fruvous covering his song "Maple Syrup Time". Something I didn't know, Pete Seeger taps his own maple trees.

Quick Bits: Maple Candy

Sweet Marie's post about the sugar-on-snow (which I've never tasted) got me curious about Maple candy.

The 18th Century Cuisine blog has an short entry with some photos about boiling down sap and making maple sugar.

Baking911.com has a page on maple candy which talks about the various types of maple candy. Here are the ones they list:

• Maple Sugar (Granulated or Molded)
• "Crunchy" Hard Maple Sugar
• Molded Soft Sugar Candy
• Maple Spread (Cream or Butter)
• Maple Fondant or Nougat (Ohio Maple Cream)
• "Jack Wax" or "Maple on Snow"

I assume the last one is the same as "Sugar on Snow". Apparently their source was Ohio State U., I wonder what other regional names there are for different maple candies like "Sugar on Snow". I kinda like "Jack Wax", though it doesn't sound too appetizing.

If you're in a rush, Astray has a 14 minute Maple Candy recipe ...

Make Your Own Sugar-On-Snow

Most maple fans have had the experience of visiting a maple farm during syrup season and being treated to a sticky helping of sugar-on-snow. The traditional maple treat is made from nothing but pure maple syrup, however, if you tried to pour the bottle from your fridge on the snow bank in your yard, you'd be sorely disappointed. What's the trick? Unlike hardwood carving, you CAN try this at home... (Ask your Mom and Dad first) Boil approximately 1 cup of pure maple syrup (Aunt Jemima's won't work!) until it reaches 236 F on a candy thermometer. If you boil the syrup a little less, it will be very soft and sticky. It you boil it a little longer, it will be more brittle. Pour syrup directly over clean snow or crushed ice. You may pour small round servings, or choose to pour strips which can then be rolled onto a popsicle stick. Either way, prepare to get sticky, and watch out for loose fillings!

How To Begin WoodCarving with a Utility Knife

Wikihow, a shared knowledge website, has a section on how to begin carving with a utility knife, they suggest using a soft maple as a beginner wood. Just make sure it is soft, carving the harder maple woods is NOT easy. Their tip is that if you can mark the wood with your fingernail, it's probably easy enough to carve.

This blog does not endorse carving wood or using a utility knife without proper knowledgeable supervision. Really! Don't chop your hand off because of us!