Maple syrup has its day

This Saturday is National Maple Syrup Day. You may be thinking, who made this up — the Aunt Jemima people? Actually, those store-bought, inexpensive pancake syrups and “maple-flavored” syrups are usually just corn syrup with a little of the real stuff, or only artificial flavoring. I urge you to forgo these and stick with authentic, 100 percent maple syrup, which is the boiled-down sap that is “tapped” from trees grown in Vermont, New York, or Canada. It is graded by color and flavor. Here in the U.S., “Fancy” or “Grade AA” is light amber-colored with a mild flavor; “Grade A” is medium amber and mellow; “Grade B” is dark amber and hearty; and “Grade C” is very dark and robust, almost like molasses. Pure maple syrup should be refrigerated, then brought to room temperature for use. After you’ve savored that wonderful pure maple taste on pancakes and waffles, don’t stop there: besides being a delicious sugar substitute, it’s a versatile flavor enhancer in recipes for meats, beverages, fruits, and baked goods. Here are a few easy recipes to showcase its versatility and flavor.

Vermont maple-corn drop biscuits

A “drop” biscuit is made from dough that is soft enough to be dropped onto a cookie sheet. These would be great as little buns for pulled pork, ham, even bacon &scrambled eggs. Recipe from “Biscuits and Scones” by Elizabeth Alston; makes 8 biscuits.

1 cup coarse-ground yellow cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup maple syrup

Milk

5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut up

Preheat oven to 425 degrees In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt; stir to mix well. Place maple syrup in a glass cup measure. Add milk up to the 2/3 cup mark. Add butter to the flour mixture; cut in with pastry blender or rub in with fingers until mixture looks like fine granules. Add milk/maple mixture; stir with a fork until a very soft dough forms. Drop 1/4 cupfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes, until pale golden brown. Cool, loosely covered with a dish towel, on a wire rack.

Sausage patties

I’ve always been a big fan of sweet and savory combinations involving meat. This simple recipe makes a yummy breakfast treat to accompany eggs or serve alongside baked goods. Recipe from “The Big Book of Breakfast” by Maryana Vollstedt; makes 4-6 patties.

1 pound bulk pork sausage

1/2 teaspoon ground sage

2 teaspoons maple syrup

2 teaspoon vegetable oil, optional

In a bowl, combine sausage, sage and syrup; mix well with your hands. Form mixture into 4-6 patties. If using very lean meat, add vegetable oil as needed to a nonstick skillet. Place patties in skillet over medium heat. Cook until meat is browned and no longer pink, about 5 minutes on each side. Patties can be made a day ahead, refrigerated, then quick fried before serving.

Chunky maple apple sauce

This versatile sauce can be used alone as a side dish, or as a filling for crepes or apple cobbler. Recipe from “Almost Vegetarian” by Diana Shaw; makes about 4 cups.

4 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, and chopped

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Pinch of ground mace

Pinch of ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons apple juice

1/4 cup raisins

In a heavy nonreactive saucepan, toss the chopped apples with the lemon juice. Add maple syrup, mace, cinnamon, vanilla, and apple juice; stir. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Cover and cook, stirring often, until apples soften and break down into a chunky sauce, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in raisins.

Michael’s peanut butter gems

The editors of East West Journal put together their cookbook, “Sweet &Natural Desserts,” featuring dairy- and sugar- free treats. Keikis can easily help make these nutty little gems. Makes 40 2-inch cookies.

1 pound peanut butter

2/3 cup corn oil

1 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups sifted whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the peanut butter, corn oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract until smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and salt; gradually add dry ingredients to peanut butter mixture, mixing well. Form 2-inch balls and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Flatten slightly. Bake for 10 minutes or just until golden. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.

Ginseng tea with maple-ginger essence

Invigorate your immune system with this easy to make beverage. Ginseng root is available in health food stores; let it dry completely and you can use it repeatedly until no flavor is left in the pieces. Recipe from “Healthy 1-2-3” by Rozanne Gold; makes 4 servings.

2-inch piece fresh ginger

4 1/4 cups water

3 tablespoons real maple syrup

1/2 ounce ginseng root

Peel ginger; slice into paper-thin coins. In a pan, bring water, ginger slices, and maple syrup to a boil. Lower heat, add ginseng, and simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer entire mixture to a heat-proof pitcher. Let steep for about an hour. Remove ginger and ginseng; reheat tea gently. Strain hot tea into 4 warmed cups; serve immediately.