Quick word association – I say maple syrup you say……pancakes right? I certainly agree with this – I love maple syrup on pancakes or more accurately I enjoy a little pancake with a lot of syrup!! Maple syrup is a natural sugar loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that makes a great substitution for processed sugar.
I use maple syrup everyday in my coffee. I also use it to sweeten plain yogurt, in smoothies and on my oatmeal. I substitute sugar in my baking with maple syrup. Winter squash and carrots are extra yummy when baked with syrup! Top off any meal with a Vermont tradition of maple syrup on ice cream.
Maple syrup substitutions for granulated sugar:
1 cup granulated sugar = 3/4 – 1 cup maple syrup If you like sweeter food use 1 cup , if you want it slightly less sweet use 3/4 cup
There is more moisture in maple syrup so you should decrease other liquids (milk, oil,etc.) by 2-4 tablespoons overall (not each type of liquid).
If the batter needs to rise add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of baking soda to neutralize the slight acidity in maple syrup. If the recipe already has buttermilk, sour milk or sour cream this will do the same as the baking soda so do not add more.
Decrease the oven temperature by 25* as syrup tends to caramelize the top and edges.
Baked Maple Glazed Baby Carrots
Vary this recipe based on how many your feeding. I either use whole carrots ( so my bunnies get the scraps!) or I cheat and use a bag of baby carrots.
1 bag of baby carrots
1 – 1/2 cups syrup
3 Tbsp butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
Parsley
Mix all the ingredients in a large glass baking dish. Spread evenly. Bake at 350* about 35 minutes or until tender. Enjoy!
