Posted by Marla Hudgins on December 17, 2009, 8:44 am
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ROD RECIPES 12/17/2009 National Maple Syrup Day Maple Syrup Scones More than 75% of the world's supply of maple syrup comes from Canada. It takes approximately 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup. All of the world's maple syrup is produced in North America. Quebec is the leading producer, followed by Vermont, New York, and Ontario. Maple syrup has about 50 calories per tablespoon. There are four grades of maple syrup: Grade A, light amber in color, with a mild, subtle flavor. Grade A medium is a medium amber, with a mellow flavor, and is the most popular. Grade A dark (formerly Grade B) is dark amber with a hearty flavor. Grade B (formerly Grade C) is very dark (the least expensive) with a robust molasses-like flavor, and is used mostly by commercial manufacturers with other ingredients for 'maple flavored' syrups. The process used to make maple syrup is essentially the same one that Native Americans first used hundreds of years ago. For four to six weeks in the winter or early spring, farmers collect the sweet-water sap of dormant sugar maple or black maple trees. The sap is extracted through tap holes, which are carefully drilled into the trees and fitted with spouts and buckets or the more modern and common method, plastic tubing. The sweet-water sap is then boiled in pans to evaporate the liquid. The sap only yields one-thirtieth to one-fiftieth the amount of syrup as the original quantity of sap. source is Food Reference Maple Syrup Scones 1/4 cup real, good quality maple syrup 6 tablespoons milk or cream 2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour 1/2 cup quinoa flakes (or rolled oats) 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt 11 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes 1 egg, lightly beaten large-grain sugar (for example: turbinado) Preheat the oven to 400F degrees, rack in the top 1/3. Line one baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together the maple syrup and milk in a small cup, and set aside. Combine the flour, quinoa/oats, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Using a food processor, cut the butter into the flour mixture, pulsing until it resembles little pebbles in a beach of sandy flour (about 20 quick pulses). You can also cut the butter into the flour using a knife and fork, or smushing it through your thumb and fingertips. Now add the maple syrup milk. Pulse (or mix) until the dough just comes together - don't over mix. If the batter is too dry add more cream a bit at a time -you want it to hold together w/o being crumbly. Turn out onto a floured surface, kneed once or twice, just enough to bring the dough together. Now arrange the dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle (see photo). Trim the edges and slice the dough into nine equal-sized squares. Arrange the scones next to one another on the prepared baking sheet - 1/4-inch distance between each of them. Brush generously with the egg wash and sprinkle with the large-grain sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden along the bottom and tops. Makes 9 scones. source is 101 Cookbooks