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Liquid Sugars Part 3: Maple Syrup

As a Canadian chocolatier, I love to use maple syrup whenever I can! The darkest and most complex of liquid sugars, maple syrup is produced by tapping maple trees in the spring, collecting the sap, and then boiling it down into a sweet, concentrated nectar.

Most of the world's maple syrup is produced in Quebec, and it is celebrated worldwide for its unique flavour. The flavours come from a combination of sugars, proteins and minerals, and it pairs well with foods that contain some of the same compounds. For example, pecans and walnuts both contain a relatively large amount of magnesium, which is also present in maple syrup in large quantities. It's a flavour that does really go with anything, but it is most often paired with baked goods and nuts.

The roasty, nutty flavours of toasted pecans are a natural pairing for the sweet complexity of maple syrup, and this recipe is a fast and easy way to create a great product - use it as a topper on a bonbon, an inclusion in a bar, a garnish for a salad, or package these and sell them on their own!

Maple Syrup Glazed Pecans

• 1kg pecan halves
• 300g pure maple syrup
• 100g granulated sugar

Put the pecans and maple syrup in a large pot or frying pan and place on your heat source on medium-high heat. Allow the nuts and syrup to heat up, stirring to prevent scorching. Stir and cook until the maple syrup thickens and starts to stick to the pecans. Once the syrup is fully glazing the nuts, remove from heat, toss the nuts with sugar and spread on a sheet of parchment to cool.

Enjoy!

To read the other posts in this series click on our Bean2Bonbon Blog overview page.

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Photography by Jessica Washburn, Bliss Chocolatier and Ecole Chocolat