Nutmeg Maple Custard Pie

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This maple custard pie is almost like a creme brulee in a crust. A brittle crust seals the top of the ultra-rich filling. Or, if you like, serve the slices with a drizzle of maple syrup. As the filling bakes, it will puff up, or souffle. It will settle down as it cools. Be sure not to overbake.

• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 whole egg
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pre-baked, 9-inch pie crust
• Optional: 1/2 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, reduce maple syrup by a quarter, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in cream and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and egg. Whisking constantly, slowly add cream mixture to eggs. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a cup or bowl with a pouring spout. Stir in salt, nutmeg and vanilla.

Pour filling into a crust and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until pie is firm to touch but jiggles slightly when moved, about 1 hour. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

To make a crunch brulee topping

To make a brittle caramel crust, refrigerate the pie until it is well chilled. Just before serving, sift the brown sugar evenly over the top to form an even layer.

Use a small kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar like this: Set the sugar-topped pie on a work surface and ignite the torch. Adjust the intensity of the flame. Hold the flame close to the surface of the custard until the sugar begins to melt quickly. Move the flame gradually in small circles over the surface of the custard, heating the sugar until it is evenly melted and golden brown.

Makes 8 servings.

- Adapted from The New York Times.

Maple-Roasted Root Vegetables

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Maple sugaring time comes just about when the root cellar is nearly empty. Oven roasting concentrates vegetable flavors and the syrup pulls it all together. Roast a chicken and there's dinner. The house-apartment-condo will smell wonderful.

• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/4-inch chunks
• 3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 1/4-inch chunks
• 1 small ( 1/2-pound) yellow turnip, peeled and cut into 1 1/4-inch chunks
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup bourbon or rum
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the carrots, parsnips and turnips in a single layer in a shallow roasting pan.

Heat the butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan just until the butter is melted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the rum.

Pour the maple mixture over the vegetables, and toss to coat. Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and pepper to taste.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, stir the vegetables and bake, uncovered, until tender, 20 to 25 minutes longer.

- "The Maple Syrup Cookbook" by Ken Haedrich (Storey, 2009)

Maple Sour Cream Bran Muffins

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This ab-fab recipe took first prize in the 1999 recipe contest sponsored by the Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers Association.

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup bran flakes
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• For the topping
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium-size bowl. Add the bran flakes, raisins and walnuts.

Combine the maple syrup, sour cream and eggs in a small bowl. Add them all at once to the dry ingredients, and stir until just blended. Using a 1/3- or 1/2-cup measure, fill the muffin cups three-quarters full with the mixture.

For the topping

Combine the flour and sugar in a small bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle the topping on the batter in the cups.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown. Makes 12.

- "Maple Syrup Cookbook" by Ken Haedrich (Storey, 1989).

Baked Maple Popcorn

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Most sweetened popcorns require dealing with boiling sugar and the dreaded softball stage. This recipe is simple. Pop corn, mix other ingredients, combine and bake. You can halve the recipe easily, but you might as well make the whole thing. Be sure to store in an airtight container.

• 1 cup popping corn
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon shaker salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Pop popcorn according to package directions. Put popped corn in a large (slightly buttered) bowl or roaster pot.

In a saucepan, melt butter, add maple syrup, brown sugar and salt. Boil on medium heat without stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla and stir to combine.

Pour gradually over popped corn and mix well. Turn onto large baking sheets with sides (a full recipe will take 4 sheets). Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

This recipe feeds a gang. A half recipe will make 4 generous servings.

- Martin and Jean Collins of Collins Tree Farm and Sugarhouse, Putney, Vt.

Indian Pudding

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This is way better than Boston's Durgin Park Indian Pudding.

• 5 cups milk
• 2/3 cups cornmeal
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup raisins (golden preferred)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease a shallow 9-by-13-inch oven-safe dish.

Heat the milk in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Slowly sprinkle in the cornmeal, whisking as you do so. Switch from the whisk to a wooden spoon and continue to cook and stir for about 10 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Reduce the heat, add the maple syrup, raisins, butter, molasses, cinnamon, ginger and salt, and stir for 2 minutes more.

Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake for 21?2 hours. Serve warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream. Makes about 8 servings.

- "Maple Syrup Cookbook" by Ken Haedrich (Storey, 1989).

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