Maple-y maple syrup.

Day Lewin

Friends and neighbours and devoted boardsers, I invite you to employ your vast collected wisdom to answer this;

what is the most maple-y maple syrup?
I mean the most strongly and distinctively maple-flavoured.

I ask because I was trying to make maple cookies as part of my Christmas bake-athon: not for the first time, either: but it still doesn't taste like the tastebuds of my brain are imagining they should taste like - like rich maple syrup.
I went to a local supermarket and they had FIVE kinds of maple syrup on the top shelf: but how was I to know which one to choose?

Very glad of all assistance on this one!

Day Lewin

The one I bought was Louis, extreme left: I can't remember what price it was (not the cheapest) but the biscuits were quite disappointing: even though I added drops of concentrated Maple Flavouring Essence.

When I tasted the syrup, it is hardly any more maple-y than ordinary corn syrup, even though the label claims "100% pure maple syrup". Really quite mild, almost bland.

What am I missing? What makes the tasty stuff tasty? - The kind I used to pour over pancakes from a flat bottle?

Alun

This might help to explain the problem ...

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/11/making-the-grade-why-the-cheapest-maple-syrup-tastes-best/239133/

Day Lewin

@Alun - that is completely fascinating: thank you!

Alun

Yes, it seems that sometimes "more expensive" isn't always "better", depending on your definition!

Cakerbaker

I get mine in Aldi and like it. Only use it for pouring over blueberry pancakes though, am not sure what it'd be like for baking.

Tree

Cakerbaker wrote: »

I get mine in Aldi and like it. Only use it for pouring over blueberry pancakes though, am not sure what it'd be like for baking.

+1 for the aldi syrup. It's a good price and is one of the best tasting maple syrups (any of the ones in tesco usually aren't worthy of pancakes and only end up in cookies to get used up)

Dizzyblonde

I use the Aldi one too, it tastes great for the price. Of the 'purer' ones, I sometimes buy Jakeman's and it's lovely.

Day Lewin

Oh dear, @Tree!

I can't recommend that: the cookies just don't taste of maple. :-(

And mine had pecans on top and were part of a careful and usually delicious selection of Christmas biscuits.

Was disappointed, and that's not the first time it's happened, either.

What maple-cookie recipe do you use, if I may ask?

rubadub

As maple syrup is so expensive I would think there are recipes which would use regular sugar and you just might brush the top with maple syrup, so it does not get "lost" as much in the thick biscuit. I would also wonder if the cooking process lessens the taste.

That link was saying to look for grade B. There are still cheapo syrups with artifical flavourings, like Lyle maple flavour golden syrup.

Tree

katemarch wrote: »

Oh dear, @Tree!

I can't recommend that: the cookies just don't taste of maple. :-(

And mine had pecans on top and were part of a careful and usually delicious selection of Christmas biscuits.

Was disappointed, and that's not the first time it's happened, either.

What maple-cookie recipe do you use, if I may ask?

It's a peanut butter and maple syrup one from some cheapo baking book I got a million years ago. Will fish it out when I get home later.

They don't taste soley of maple, but it's a lovely hint of maple. The lyle's "maple" syrup might be more what you're after, it's rotten on pancakes but worked well in the cookies.