MAPLE: 100 SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FEATURING PURE MAPLE SYRUP
BY KATIE WEBSTER
When maple syrup is mentioned, is the first thing that comes into your mind pancakes? It is for me. However, Maple, the newly published 100-recipe cookbook by Katie Webster shows us that maple syrup is much more than a breakfast topping—this liquid gold can be used in both sweet and savory recipes. This cookbook has recipes and photos that run the gamut from breakfast to soups to salads to main courses and desserts. There are even vegan, gluten-free and paleo options, tips on storage, substitutions and syrup making.
Sap tapper, chef, food blogger and food photographer Katie Webster has a food blog, Healthy Seasonal Recipes, and lives surrounded by maple trees that provide her with maple syrup each spring.
Some recipes that caught my eye are: Maple Margarita; Kale Skillet Salad with Walnuts and Maple; Maple Ginger Roasted Salmon and Maple Pork Loin Roast with Apple Chutney. Here is one to try:
Hazelnut Maple Thumbprint Cookies with Maple Butter
The first time I made these cookies, I brought a few up the hill to my neighbor Jack, an experienced sugar maker. His opinion on all things maple is as good as gold! He gave them his seal of approval and added that he would be happy to serve as taste tester for any future batches.
Makes about 35 cookies | Active time: 45 minutes | Total time: 2 hours 10 minutes
¾ cup whole hazelnuts (about 3 ½ ounces)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup white whole-wheat flour
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4cup maple sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup maple butter (also called maple cream)
- In food processor, process hazelnuts and sugar for about 40 seconds, until finely ground. Scrape the bowl sides with a spatula. Add flours, baking powder, and salt and pulse to combine. Set aside.
- Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 1½ minutes, until light, fluffy, and smooth. Add maple sugar and beat until combined. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until completely incorporated. Add hazelnut mixture and beat until just combined. Refrigerate dough for at least 20 minutes, or until firm.
- While dough chills, place a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Form 20 1-tablespoon scoops of dough into balls; refrigerate remaining dough. Arrange balls on a prepared baking sheet. Gently press the center of each with your thumb, creating a slight indent.
- Bake, rotating the tray once halfway through, 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies are lightly golden. Repeat step 4 with remaining dough, forming about 15 more balls.
- Allow cookies to cool before spooning a small dollop of maple butter into the center of each.
Make ahead: Batter can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Excerpted from Maple: 100 Sweet and Savory Recipes Featuring Pure Maple Syrup. Reprinted with permission from Quirk Books.
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