Sweet Delight

Last week’s blog invited you to learn about maple syruping, a springtime tradition in Lake Country. This week, we’ll offer up some special recipes that take advantage of this natural—and healthful—sweetener.

You can use maple syrup for a lot more than topping pancakes and waffles. In days gone by, maple syrup and sugar were dietary staples. They are natural sweeteners, and healthy, too. Among other nutrients, maple syrup contains zinc and manganese, according to the World’s Healthiest Foods website.

A quick Internet check turns up countless recipes that utilize this wonderful natural ingredient. Here are some from one of my favorite websites. Enjoy!
• At About.com:Home Cooking you’ll find a list of recipes for everything from Apple Couscous Acorn Squash and Homemade Flavored Yogurt to Maple Oatmeal Bread and Nutty Maple Popcorn.
• The site also contains information on maple syrup history, storage and cooking tips, grades and quality standards, legend and lore.

I hope you enjoy finding out more about maple syrup's past and present uses. Don't forget to try the recipe for delicious Maple Hazelnut Galette in the current March/April issue of Lake Country Journal Magazine (Seasonings, p. 22). And if you have your own special maple recipes, please let our readers know. Just register or log in and add a comment.