Maple Syrup | The Wannabe Chef

Tag Archive: Maple Syrup

Maple Vanilla Oatmeal

Written on December 3, 2014 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

Some meals are too simple to ever justify paying for them; oats should be at the top of that category. In the corner restaurant near my apartment, cinnamon is considered a premium topping right next to blueberries and strawberries. Would you really pay extra for a finger-tip worth of cinnamon? Put that wallet away.

If you don’t have a go-to oatmeal recipe, Winter’s a good time to pick one up. It’s warm, hearty, and filling but quick and easy to put together for 1 or a crowd. You can dress this recipe up with walnuts, raisins, sliced apples, or any number of different mix-ins, but on its own it’s good, too.

The vanilla in this recipe adds a slightly savory and complex flavor to cut the sweetness of the maple, but if you’re making this for a picky palate you might want to leave it out.

Maple Vanilla Oatmeal

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 Servings):

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Method:

Combine the oats, salt, and 2 3/4 cup water in a medium pot on the stove.
Bring the pot up to a boil over medium-high heat stirring occasionally. Leave uncovered.
As the water boils stir more constantly with a wooden spoon.
When the oats have cooked and stick together, turn off the heat. Add in the vanilla, syrup, salt, and cinnamon and continue stirring for 20 seconds.
Remove from the heat and let cool slightly before scooping into 2 bowls.
Serve warm with brown sugar and cinnamon on top.

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Easy Maple-Curry Acorn Squash

Written on October 1, 2014 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

When you live in the city, it’s sometimes hard to tell exactly what season it is. That’s what Starbucks limited edition drinks are for.

After I saw it was pumpkin spice latte season already, I knew it was time to start digging up old squash recipes. This recipe I’ve posted an annoying amount of times but still come back to again and again.

It’s one that I always make because I know how easy and delicious it is. Using curry powder to flavor the squash adds an untraditional kick that keeps the squash anything but boring. Still it’s familiar enough that semi-picky eaters will enjoy.

You can really use this coating on any type but I prefer acorn the best for this since I think it has the mildest flavor. Butternut and winter squash tends to be sweeter on their own.

Maple-Curry Acorn Squash

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

1 Large acorn squash
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt*

*omit if your curry powder is already salted.

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking tray
Cut the squash in half to remove all the seeds. Once de-seeded, cut along the ridges into thin wedges.
In a large bowl, toss the wedges with the maple syrup, curry powder, and salt so that the squash is evenly coated.
Lay the squash out on the baking tray and roast for 45 minutes or until fork tender.
Remove from the oven and serve hot.

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Raw Chocolate Fudge Pie

Written on April 30, 2014 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

If there’s any way to make peace after 2 weeks of not posting it’s this recipe.

Spending the weekend with friends or family is great but usually leads to a week without recipes. Last weekend was the exception. My friend Eury visited and stayed with me and insisted(she’s going to hate that word–“suggested”) we make the raw fudge pie recipe she’s been working on.

Whether you’re gluten-free or gluten-full, vegan or a meat lover, there’s no denying raw desserts are just better than regular ones. They’re always fudgier, creamier, more flavorful, and easy to convince yourself they’re healthy so you can go back for seconds.

Rich raw chocolate fudge pie

With permission I’m sharing Eury’s recipe which’ll easily win over the staunchest crowd. The cashew filling has the same taste and texture as any milk chocolate fudge. If you do not care about the health benefits of eating raw and only make this because raw desserts have amazing flavors and textures, feel free to substitute the maple syrup for honey, corn syrup, or simple syrup.

Raw Chocolate Fudge Pie

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 16 servings):

For the crust:

3/4 cup almonds
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:

2 cups cashews
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla

Method:

Pulse the almonds and walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped.
Add in the syrup, cocoa powder, and vanilla for the crust and continue processing until it forms a mixed dough.
Press the dough into a 9-inch pan until the bottom’s about 1/4-inch thick.
For the filling, process the cashews into a fine powder. Make sure not to over blend them into cashew butter.
Add in the maple syrup and water and continue blending until smooth.
Add in the rest of the ingredients and process until it forms a smooth liquid filling.
Pour the filling over the crust and spread into an even layer.
Refrigerate for ~4 hours until the center has set. Cut with a sharp knife into servings. Refrigerate when not enjoying.

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Maple Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bread

Written on November 1, 2013 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

Do you know what November is? ~~Besides depressingly cold.~~ It’s national peanut butter month! And to stir things up, the National Peanut Board invited bloggers to come up with a new peanut butter recipe to post and spread the love.

At this point, there are few recipes that I haven’t made with peanut butter. It’s something I eat daily—usually in the morning with oatmeal and a sweetener like maple syrup. But oatmeal can be messy and hard to have on the go, so there had to be an easy, portable way to have that delicious flavor combination.

For my entry I made a peanut butter quick bread sweetened with maple syrup. It’s healthy and amazingly delicious warmed up on a cold November morning.

To vote in the recipe, you can go to the Peanut Board’s Facebook page after 12pm on November 1st and use the contest’s tab app to vote before November 30th. Besides a prize for the winning blogger, they’re giving away 15 peanut butter prize packs with $25 gift cards to voters, so vote!

Maple Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bread

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients(Makes one loaf):

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup peanut butter, gently melted
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Maple Peanut Butter Quickbread Loaf

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl mix together the oats and flour.
Add in the syrup, peanut butter, oil, eggs, and water and beat well.
Add in the rest of the ingredients and continue mixing until it forms a batter.
Lightly grease a 9-inch loaf pan with oil.
Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle some extra oats on the top.
Bake for 50 minutes or until the bread rises and sets.
Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing. Store in a cool place when not enjoying.

Maple Peanut Butter Quickbread Loaf 2

Be sure to check out the other bloggers’ recipes as well! Jennifer, Laurie, Nick, Tina, and Rachel all cooked up something delicious, too.

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Blueberry Pancake Syrup

Written on July 22, 2013 by Wannabe Chef in Sauce

Fresh fruit in the Summer is great. It really is. But turning that fruit into a maple pancake syrup is just a little bit better.

After I made homemade strawberry syrup, I couldn’t eat it fast enough. It’s a great sweetener for pancakes, ice cream, yogurt, oatmeal—just about anything. After giving it a try I can say that making the recipe with blueberries is just as good.

You can use fresh or frozen blueberries for this recipe—it doesn’t make a difference. Unlike the strawberry version, you need to strain the syrup once it’s cooked to get the skins out. Don’t waste the solids though! They’re full of sugar and make a great jam-like spread for toast or mixing into yogurt.

Blueberry Pancake Syrup

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 1 1/2 cups):

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2/3 cup blueberries
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Method:

In a small pot over a burner, combine the sugar and water and heat until the sugar has dissolved.
Boil the water until the simple syrup reduces to about half of its original volume.
While the water is boiling, puree the blueberries and maple syrup in a blender or food processor until they make a smooth sauce.
Off of the heat, combine the blueberry puree and simple syrup and whisk together. Whisk in the vanilla and cinnamon as well.
Put the pot back onto the stove and continue boiling until the syrup reduces to about half of its volume again. Don’t over-reduce the syrup to be quite as thick as maple syrup because once it cools off of the heat it will thicken.
Strain the sauce through a sieve to remove the blueberry skins.
Store any extra sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator when not enjoying.

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Homemade Strawberry Syrup

Written on April 15, 2013 by Wannabe Chef in Sauce

The best part about making anything at home is the flavors. Artificial dyes and ingredients just never taste as good as the real deal. You can buy strawberry flavored maple syrup that vaguely tastes like skittles with absolutely no maple syrup in it, but why do that when you can make something with actual strawberries?

Since Spring is here, Driscolls offered to send me some coupons to use their fresh berries as a recipe ingredient. I was shocked how many recipes they already have on their website including a large section of gluten-free recipes; 106 and they’re still adding more—that’s no joke.

I was inspired to make this syrup because I hadn’t made chickpea flour pancakes in a long time. At first I was just going to cook the berries into the pancakes but that didn’t seem quite as exciting as making a strawberry maple syrup. All you need is the whipped cream and it’s a decadent breakfast.

I originally planned to use this for pancakes and waffles, but after tasting it it’s hard to think of a food this wouldn’t be delicious on. I’m already planning to pick up a pint of vanilla ice cream from the store to drizzle this on. You can also use it in any recipe in place of maple syrup.

Homemade Strawberry Syrup

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 1 1/2 cups):

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2/3 cup hulled strawberries
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Method:

In a small pot over a burner, combine the sugar and water and heat until the sugar has dissolved.
Boil the water until the simple syrup reduces to about half of its original volume.
While the water is boiling, puree the strawberries and maple syrup in a blender or food processor until they make a smooth sauce.
Off of the heat, combine the strawberry puree and simple syrup and whisk together. Whisk in the vanilla and cinnamon as well.
Put the pot back onto the stove and continue boiling until the syrup reduces to about half of its volume again. Don’t over-reduce the syrup to be quite as thick as maple syrup because once it cools off of the heat it will thicken.
Store any extra sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator when not enjoying.

This is also a really delicious topping on plain oatmeal and oatbran for those days you don’t quite feel like making pancakes.

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Maple Hazelnut Granola

Written on March 29, 2013 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a recipe for granola. That’s mostly because I’ve been reluctant to pay $7 for a bag of gluten-free rolled oats at the grocery store near me. But this week I finally caved in because I’d missed a bowl of hot, soft oatmeal in the morning and chewy, crunchy granola on my yogurt.

I love the subtle flavor of maple syrup; when I sweeten my yogurt I usually choose maple syrup over honey. It’s even better with a little cinnamon and vanilla mixed in to remind you of warm french toast. This granola is great over some maple yogurt but also by the handful.

This granola isn’t too sweet on its own. If you prefer a sweeter granola, increase the maple syrup to 1/2 cup. You can also add some chocolate chips once the granola has cooled for a fun flavor.

Maple Hazelnut Granola

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 3 1/2 cups):

2 1/2 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup raisins

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, syrup, oil, vanilla, cinnamon and salt thoroughly.
Lay the oats out on a non-stick baking tray in a thin layer.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the oats are toasted but not burnt.
Remove the granola from the oven and let the oats cool.
Once cool, toss the oats with the hazelnuts and raisins until thoroughly mixed.
Store in an air-tight container at room temperature when not eating.

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Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes

Written on November 19, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

It’s been getting harder and harder to get out of bed in the morning lately. I’m used to freezing temperatures in New England by now but I’ve never learned to like them and it’s only getting colder from here on out. Blankets are getting thicker, showers are getting longer, and breakfasts are getting tastier because they’re always the best reason to get out of bed.

These pancakes are an older recipe that I wanted to revisit and spend more time on. It’s hard to find good gluten-free pancakes and the more flavors you can get the better. They’re entirely naturally sweetened, too, until you pour the maple syrup on top which is a must. A little pat of cinnamon butter and it’d be heaven.

The recipe only makes about one serving. I would recommend doubling or tripling it and storing the extra pancakes in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator to have extra for another morning.

Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients(makes 1 serving):

1/3 cup mashed banana(about a medium-sized banana)
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4-1/3 cup water

Method:

In a mixing bowl combine the mashed banana, chickpea flour, egg, cinnamon, baking soda and 1/4 cup water and mix.
Add more water if necessary to get the consistency somewhere between thick-runny and runny.
Preheat a non-stick pan over medium heat.
Scoop about 1/4 cup batter into the pan for each pancake. Only cook 1 or 2 at a time to avoid overcrowding.
Cook on one side until the top is bubbly, then flip and cook for about another minute. Repeat until all the batter is used.

Definitely worth waking up for.

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Maple Almond Butter Sandwich Cookies

Written on November 16, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Sandwich Cookies are so much fun. They’re much better than any old cookie; you get two cookies plus a filling. What’s not to love?

My favorite sandwich cookies were always the ones shaped like a maple leaf with a maple crème filling. Sure, they probably were loaded with trans fat and gave people heart attacks but it was the 90s and no one knew about any of that yet. These remind me of those but very much grown up. The cinnamon and spice and salt enhance the sweetness of the maple syrup and the nuttiness of the almond butter and knock it out of the park.

If you want to skip making your own cookies, use a store-bought gingersnap cookie for the base to compliment the filling best.

Maple Almond Butter Sandwich Cookies

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 6 sandwich cookies):

12 spiced almond butter cookies
6 Tablespoons almond butter
3 1/2 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
Scant 1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

Lay half of the cookies out bottom-side-up.
In a large bowl, beat together the almond butter, butter, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt until it’s smooth and homogenous.
Put about 1 1/2 Tablespoons of filling on top of each cookie.
Take another cookie and place it bottom-side-down on top of the filling.
Store at room temperature until ready to eat.

See? Much better than a cookie.

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Maple Curry Acorn Squash(Again)

Written on November 9, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

Every year when squash season comes around I make this recipe; it’s probably the second or third time I posted it. Once more can’t hurt, right?

Maple syrup and curry powder are an underrated combination. The sweetness in the syrup smoothes out the heat in curry powder and creates something unexpectedly delicious. Acorn squash is a great base for this since it doesn’t have too much flavor on its own and is good for you, too.

Maple-Curry Acorn Squash

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 3 servings):

1 Large acorn squash
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt*

*omit if your curry powder is already salted.

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking tray
Cut the squash in half to remove all the seeds. Once de-seeded, cut along the ridges into thin wedges.
In a large bowl, toss the wedges with the maple syrup, curry powder, and salt.
Lay the squash out on the baking tray and roast for 45 minutes or until fork tender.
Remove from the oven and serve hot.

If there’s any extra of the syrup mixture after you coat the squash or after it bakes drizzle it on top of the finished product for an extra hit of flavor.

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