Is maplene bad?

[Taedareth]

I've got a recipe for granola that calls for maplene to give it a sweet scent (that way you don't notice that there isn't any sugar in the granola, just a bit of maple syrup). I got the recipe from a friend and she has tried making it with just maple syrup and no maple "extract" but it just doesn't work. So, is maplene bad (it's some kind of artificial flavoring, I think) and if so then is there a real version of maple extract available?

[FiberLover]

I've never seen/heard of maplene.

I think to get maple extract flavor I would simply boil maple syrup down to make it REAL thick and maple-y (but, I haven't tried this either).

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by FiberLover

I've never seen/heard of maplene.

I think to get maple extract flavor I would simply boil maple syrup down to make it REAL thick and maple-y (but, I haven't tried this either).

Actually, doing this you wind up with maple caramel. Which is good, but does not is just as easily hidden (flavor-wise) as the syrup.

Frontier has a "natural flavorings" one, but it does not specify the source of the flavor. Ingredients: Glycerin, water and natural flavors (contains corn and barley gluten and soy).

[Ruthla]

I wonder if the recipe would work with molasses, as molasses have a much stronger flavor than maple syrup.

[FiberLover]

Thanks for lettting me know Cristeen.....but Maple Caramel sounds pretty dang tasty.....

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by FiberLover

Thanks for lettting me know Cristeen.....but Maple Caramel sounds pretty dang tasty.....

It is! I make it about once a year for a topping on a particular dessert. I always have lots left over and it gets put on whatever sound yummy.

[Taedareth]

And what dessert would that be??

[FiberLover]

Originally Posted by Taedareth

And what dessert would that be??

This is sounding GOOD!

[Leilalu]

do tell.....

:

[425lisamarie]

I'm hungry, and thanks because I was wanting pancakes but the kids don't and there is no one to make them for me

I could drink maple syrup

[bigknitwit]

: Sometimes when I'm dsperate for some sugary junk food I have 1-2 tbsps of maple syrup. :

[cheenya]

We used to use crescent brand Mapleine, to make cheep watered down syrup for pancakes. We stopped when I learned that Vanillin is bad, long before I started exploring NT ideas. The ingredients are "Water, carmel color, natural flavorings, alchohol (7%), phosphoric acid, vanillin, and sulfiting agents."

I think I would probably replace the mapleine in the recipe with a vanilla extract, or another sweet smelling extract, we really like the ones from flavorganics. I've never tried their caramel extract, butfrom the ingredients (Distilled water, Organic alcohol, Organic agave syrup, Organic sugar, Organic molasses, Organic butter) it sounds yummy.

[FiberLover]

Originally Posted by bigknitwit

: Sometimes when I'm dsperate for some sugary junk food I have 1-2 tbsps of maple syrup. :

You think that's bad?

Hubby WILL drink it. Or come up with excuses to use a LOT of it in something...like "Oh, I think I'll make some oatmeal for a snack.....and put some maple syrup on it...".

I have to buy it sparingly, like only when I want to use it. I bought a small jar last Saturday, and its already gone!

(We did discuss planting some sugar maples though, and having the ability to make our own in oh, about 15-20 yrs )

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by Taedareth

And what dessert would that be??

Originally Posted by FiberLover

This is sounding GOOD!

Originally Posted by Leilalu

do tell.....
:

That would be Pumpkin Profiteroles with Maple Caramel.

Basically a cream puff stuffed with a baked pumpkin custard, drizzled with maple caramel. I make them for the holidays and/or parties. But it's the maple caramel that really makes the dish. I found the recipe a couple years ago and changed it to suit myself (like I usually do ).

I have stirred the leftover maple caramel into a batch of brownies as well.

Originally Posted by cheenya

I think I would probably replace the mapleine in the recipe with a vanilla extract, or another sweet smelling extract, we really like the ones from flavorganics. I've never tried their caramel extract, but from the ingredients (Distilled water, Organic alcohol, Organic agave syrup, Organic sugar, Organic molasses, Organic butter) it sounds yummy.

Their Caramel extract is really good. I have the caramel, the chocolate and the coffee. All yummy. Frontier's extracts (I linked above), I have cinnamon and butterscotch. The cinnamon is quite good, but the butterscotch tastes quite artificial, like butterscotch chips. Since I make real butterscotch pudding and not the imitation stuff, I can taste the difference.

[Taedareth]

Wait you're not off the hook yet! We need the complete recipe for your pumpkin puff thingies - and your butterscotch pudding, too!!

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by Taedareth

Wait you're not off the hook yet! We need the complete recipe for your pumpkin puff thingies - and your butterscotch pudding, too!!

LOL!

Ok... let me dig them up.

Pumpkin Custard Profiteroles with Maple Caramel
The custard makes about twice as much as necessary, so either make more cream puffs (a double batch) or plan on leftovers. Originally this recipe was supposed to make 16 servings, but I usually make more like 4 dozen out of it (making them bite-sized).

Maple caramel
1 cup maple syrup
4 Tbs unsalted butter
1/4-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Pumpkin custard
3 cups whipping cream
2 1/4 cups canned pure pumpkin
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
9 large egg yolks

Profiteroles
1 cup whole milk (I use half and half)
1/2 cup butter
1 c flour
4 eggs

For maple caramel:
Simmer syrup over low heat, stirring occasionally, in a small pan until reduced by half (or more). Periodically spoon the syrup over the sides of the pan to melt the crystals forming there. When it is quite thick, stir in the butter until melted, then the heavy cream until it's a good consistency (DO NOT TASTE IT, IT WILL BURN!). This can be made weeks ahead of time, store in the fridge.

For pumpkin custard:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk cream and next 6 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Whisk sugar and egg yolks in medium bowl. Gradually stir hot pumpkin mixture into egg yolk mixture.

Pour pumpkin custard into 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish; cover with foil. Place dish in 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Fill baking pan with enough hot water to come halfway up sides of dish. Bake until custard is set in center, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool completely. Cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.)

For profiteroles:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper (I use silpats). Bring milk and butter to a boil in heavy large saucepan. Stir in flour; cook over medium-high heat, stirring vigorously, until dough is smooth and pulls away from sides of pan, about 1 minute. Beat dough with a mixer (you can do it by hand but it's a pain) at medium speed until slightly cool, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

Scoop Tablespoon sized balls of the dough onto your pan, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake 25-30 minuutes, until puffed and golden. Cool completely. (Can be made about 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container in fridge or freezer. If frozen, defrost before continuing.)

To assemble:
Rewarm caramel sauce. Using serrated knife, slice profiteroles horizontally in half (I usually just use my fingers and pull off the top). Scoop out any strands of dough inside the shell. Scoop about 1-2 Tbs of custard into the bottom half of each profiterole. Cover with top halves. Drizzle with sauce.

**********

Butterscotch Pudding
This is from eggbeater, with my notations added.

Heavy Cream, 3/4 C
Whole Milk 1 1/4 C
(Or 2 C Half & Half)

Dark Brown Sugar 5 oz. (Last time I made this I used Sucanat and it was great)
Unsalted Butter 1.5 oz.

Cornstarch 2 Tablespoons
Sugar 1 Tablespoon

Large Egg Yolks 2 each
Large Egg 1 each

Kosher Salt pinch, or to taste
Vanilla Extract splash, or to taste

In a heavy bottomed stainless steel sauce pan melt butter over low heat and add brown sugar. With a wooden spoon stir in well to incorporate. Cook for at least 10 minutes, stirring infrequently. (When done, this will look smooth and glossy, like a dark caramel sauce, without the slightest bit of graininess, but don't let it get too dark, it will burn.)

Meanwhile combine dairy and warm up, but do not let boil.

Whisk egg and yolks together in mid sized bowl.

Sift cornstarch and sugar into another mid sized bowl. If it looks like you lost some cornstarch in the process, add a little more. Cornstarch absorbs moisture and loves to stick to everything! Whisk to combine these and make a "well" in the center.

When brown sugar/butter has been on the stove for a bit, add dairy and whisk to smooth out. When this mixture is hot to the touch, shut off heat.

OK. Now you are making a liaison. You need to get the eggs and cornstarch into the mixture, but evenly and delicately. The Instruction I am about to give is the best way to make any stove-top pudding, the most popular being pastry cream.

Using a ladle, lift a small amount (between 2-4 oz) of the hot liquid and pour it directly in the middle of the cornstarch "well." Using a small whisk, whisk this mixture in tight concentric circles from the middle out. You want a smooth, loose paste. If you have not put in enough, or put in too much liquid you will get clumps. When you have your unlumpy mixture, ladle in a little more liquid and do the same again.

Now ladle, while whisking, some liquid into the beaten egg bowl. This step is not nearly as delicate a matter as the previous step. Again, you want to warm up the egg mixture, turning the bowl into warm-hot eggy liquid.

Whisk eggy liquid into cornstarchy liquid. Incorporate as much as possible. Pour this into the pot. Whisk to incorporate. If you notice a lot of any kind of lumps, pass this mixture through a fine meshed sieve.

Put pot back on stove over medium heat. Whisk continuously and violently. Try to whisk at all sorts of angles so that the whisk bottom makes it into the "corners" of the pot. If you are not breaking a sweat or getting sore, you may not be whisking hard enough. Pain = Pleasure

Whisk until custard thickens and "comes to boil." I put this in quotes because once custard gets thick, these bubbles are hard to see. When it starts to get thick, stop to see if bubbles are rising to the surface. The sound they'll make is "Gloop."

Take off heat and add in vanilla extract. Taste. Does it taste like butterscotch? Does it need more vanilla extract? Salt? Not sure & don't want to ruin the whole batch finding out? Take a small amount out, put in a bowl and experiment on that.

Spoon into bowls. Chill, and unless you like custard skin, press plastic wrap right to the surface. Of course you can always eat it warm too.

I like to garnish my butterscotch pudding with toasted pecans. But many things would be complementary. Coconut cream is nice, a la Claudia Fleming. Or praline. Whipped cream, for the added opulence, or straight out of the pot like you know you want to!

(We eat this warm right from the pan or well-chilled, but rarely bother to garnish it as it's gone before I can bother.)

[artemis33]

Thank you Cristeen!!!!! Those sound amazing!

[Taedareth]

*HUGS* Wow, I MUST make those pumpkin thingies for Canadian Thanksgiving (we're having Canadian guests over). I just bought half a gallon of organic maple syrup (yay Costco!!) Maybe I need to "practice" making the maple caramel...

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by Taedareth

*HUGS* Wow, I MUST make those pumpkin thingies for Canadian Thanksgiving (we're having Canadian guests over). I just bought half a gallon of organic maple syrup (yay Costco!!) Maybe I need to "practice" making the maple caramel...

The maple caramel by itself is fabulous. We've had it over ice cream, cake... like I said above, I've stirred into brownie batter, and I've just licked it off the spoon. The recipe makes way more than is needed, and I actually have some in the fridge still that is from 2 holiday seasons ago (and some from last holiday season as well). One of them did crystallize a bit, but it's still yummy.

[425lisamarie]

I am drinking maple syrup on top my leftover buttermilk spelt waffles as we speak : I could seriously do some damage to a vat of that syrup caramel you speak of