PITTSBURG, Pa. — Maple syrup is famously made in spring, when below-freezing nights followed by warm days cause the sap stored in a sugar maple’s trunk to flow up and out of the tree and into buckets or plastic tubing for boiling.
But for many, the thick, sugary liquid American Indians cooked in wooden troughs heated by red-hot rocks, long before any settlers arrived, rivals pumpkin-spice as the quintessential fall flavor.
Now is when the apples, Brussels sprouts, root vegetables and hearty winter squashes associated with autumnal eating are in ample supply at farmers markets and grocery stores, and all pair perfectly with the sweet, caramel-y flavor of maple. Fall is also major pancake and French toast season, and drowning the fluffy breakfast foods with maple syrup isn’t just tasty: It’s sacrosanct.
Vermont reigns supreme when it comes to production (2.5 million gallons in 2022 alone), according to the USDA. Also making a showing are New York, Maine, Wisconsin, Michigan, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, whose maple farmers collected, boiled and bottled a respectable 164,000 gallons of syrup this year.
One of Pennsylvania’s premier maple syrup producers has a new cookbook that shows the home cook all the delicious ways to incorporate the sweetening liquid into just about every meal, and then some.
“Maple Syrup Recipes With Tips and Tales From Hurry Hill Maple Farm” by Janet Woods includes dozens of maple-centric recipes along with more than 100 cooking tips, anecdotes and stories about maple sugaring.
Woods, 74, has been making maple syrup her whole life on the 55-acre maple farm she grew up on, following in the footsteps of her parents, Paul and Mary, who also both grew up on Erie County farms. They built a sugarhouse on Hurry Hill in 1958 to supplement their work as dairy farmers.
Back in the day, Woods says, most farms in Northwestern Pennsylvania had maple trees along with tillable fields, streams and orchards. During the “season of mud and snow” between winter and spring, when it’s too muddy to work the fields or spread manure on soft earth, farmers were “itchin'” to get outside and work.
Maple sugaring provided that opportunity, “and my father hoped to make enough income from maple syrup sales to pay the taxes and buy some cabbage seed,” Woods says. Her mother would boil down the sap they hand-collected from 2,000 buckets into the night after teaching in a one-room school all day.
Charmingly illustrated by artist Cynthia Beck, the cookbook includes 170 recipes, in categories that run the gamut from breakfast and appetizers to fruits and vegetables, entrees, candy and desserts. You’ll also find more than a dozen recipes for cookies and pies, including the farm’s award-winning “Snowplow Pie” that’s made with just four ingredients: a prepared graham cracker crust, cream cheese, whipped topping and maple sugar crumb.
Ritzy Chicken
This recipe is one of Janet Woods’ all-time favorites. This time of year, it’s the perfect shareable dish for a tailgate party. I doubled the amount of crackers and spices for extra-crunchy chicken.
Oven-fried “Ritzy” chicken tenders are served with a homemade maple mustard. / Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNSNote: To make maple mustard, bring 1 1/2 cups of pure maple syrup to a boil at 240 degrees. Add 1 cup yellow mustard, and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use. (Rub butter on the inside rim of the pan to prevent boil-overs.)
30 Ritz crackers, finely crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
3 eggs, beaten
4 boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter, melted, divided
Maple Mustard, to serve
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix crushed crackers, salt, pepper and garlic and onion powders in a large bowl. In separate bowl, beat three eggs and set next to bowl with cracker mixture.
Dip chicken slices into cracker mixture, then egg, then crackers again. Place on greased cookie pan with raised edges. Drizzle with half the melted butter.
Bake for 10 minutes, then turn chicken over and drizzle the other side with remaining melted butter. Bake for about 10 more minutes, until chicken reaches 165 degrees.
Serve with Maple Mustard.
Serves 4-6.
— “Maple Syrup Recipes With Tips and Tales From Hurry Hill Maple Farm” by Janet Woods
Old-Time Maple Gingerbread
This is a light and delicate cake that’s perfect as a nosh with afternoon tea or coffee. It’s also super easy to prepare.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, beaten
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup sour cream
Whipped cream, for serving
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan.
Sift dry ingredients together in a bowl. Mix maple syrup with beaten egg. Add sour cream, and mix well.
Combine the dry mixture and syrup mixture. Pour cake batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 30-40 minutes. To tell if it’s done baking, insert a toothpick in the center of the cake; it should come out clean.
Serve warm with whipped cream.
— “Maple Syrup Recipes With Tips and Tales From Hurry Hill Maple Farm” by Janet Woods
“Maple Syrup Recipes” costs $30 and is available at Hurry Hill Maple Farm and Museum, 11424 Fry Road, Edinboro, Pennsylvania, which is open noon-4 p.m. Sundays through November. It also can be mailed for an extra $10 (priority mail) or $5 (book rate). You’ll also find it on Etsy. More info: 814-572-1358, hurryhillfarm.org or via email athurryhillfarmverizon.net.
Monster Maple Cookies
The maple flavor is subtle in the cookie part of this recipe, but it shines through in the glaze. I used Runamok Apple Brandy Barrel-Aged syrup (available by mail order). For a fun Halloween-themed treat, decorate the cookies with candy eyeballs.
For cookies:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
48 candy eyeballs, optional
For maple glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon milk
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and light brown sugar for 2-3 minutes. Add in the eggs, maple syrup and vanilla. Mix in flour and baking soda.
Scoop the batter into rounds the size of a ping-pong ball, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake for about 10 minutes or until they have just started to brown at the edges. Remove from the oven to let cool.
To make the glaze, mix the powdered sugar, maple syrup and milk together until well combined. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies to create a mummy-like pattern. Top with candy eyeballs.
Makes 24 cookies.
— Lenox Bakery via runamokmaple.com
Fried Brussels Sprouts With Maple Cider Glaze
Brussels sprouts are a fall staple. Here, they’re roasted until crispy and then tossed in a sweet-and-tangy maple glaze. Watch them disappear!
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup fresh apple cider
Pinch kosher salt
1 pound Brussels sprouts
Vegetable oil for frying
Combine maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, apple cider and salt in a medium-size pot. Reduce by one-quarter over medium heat, stirring constantly. Set aside. De-stem Brussels and cut in half, pulling off any outer leaves that are loose. Fry in 350 degree oil for 1 minute or until brown. Season Brussels immediately with a pinch of salt, and toss with one tablespoon of reduction for every cup of Brussels.
If you don’t have a fryer, take the raw, cleaned Brussels and toss with oil and salt. Roast at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Brussels should be tender but still have a bite to them. Toss with 1 tablespoon of reduction for every cup of Brussels while hot.
Makes a pile of sumptuous, tangy-sweet Brussels. How many it serves depends on how restrained your eating companions are, but estimate 2-4 people.
Did you know?
Hidden Hills Farm & Saddle Club in Ooltewah bottles “100% pure Chattanooga maple syrup.” At Farm Play Days in February, children learn how to tap the trees and taste samples from the farm and other sources for comparison.