[1] A coconut layer cake with gingerbread houses (photo © Bruna Branco | Unsplash).

[2] Butter cookies with sugar pearls (photo © King Arthur Baking).

[1] The different colors represent the different grades of maple syrup (all photos © Pure Maple From Canada).

[2] Maple Syrup Taffy On A Stick. You can make it plain, or roll it in bacon, dried cranberries, nuts and more. The recipe is below.

[3] Maple syrup goes way beyond breakfast, like this Sheet Pan Maple Mustard Chicken Thighs with Potatoes and Carrots. Here’s the recipe.

[4] To serve as a snack, for brunch, or with drinks, Whipped Ricotta with Maple Syrup, Calabrian Chiles, and Grilled Sourdough by Chef Hugh Acheson. Here’s the recipe.

[5] For lunch, a Maple, Apple & Brie Panini. Here’s the recipe.

[6] A twist on mac and cheese: Steamed Macaroni and Cheese with Maple Butternut Squash. Here’s the recipe.

[7] Crustless Maple Vegetable Quiche. Here’s the recipe.

[8] Maple Pulled Pork. Here’s the recipe.

[9] Maple Bourbon Brined Roasted Chicken. Here’s the recipe.

December 17th is National Maple Syrup Day. The next time you drown your pancakes in syrup, ask yourself what you’re pouring on that stack. Do you know the difference between pure maple syrup and pancake syrup, a.k.a. imitation maple syrup?

Many bottles of what appears to be maple syrup are simply bottles of corn syrup with maple flavoring, a.k.a. pancake syrup.

The contents may be sweetly pleasing, but they’re not maple syrup. The U.S. government won’t allow it to be called maple syrup. “Pancake syrup,” “rich syrup,” and other terms have been devised by manufacturers to lead you astray.

Here’s what’s in a bottle of Mrs. Butterworth’s:

High fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, water, salt, cellulose gum, molasses, potassium sorbate (preservative), sodium hexametaphosphate, citric acid, caramel color, and natural and artificial flavors.

Ingredients are similar for Aunt Jemima, Hungry Jack, and Log Cabin syrups.

Those ingredients are a world apart from the natural maple syrup tapped from the tree, where the only ingredient is maple tree sap that’s been boiled into syrup. That’s pure maple syrup, also labeled 100% maple syrup.

This article features ways to cook with maple syrup, including delicious recipes. While there are recipes below, also check out the recipe links in the photos.
 
 
COOKING WITH MAPLE SYRUP

Sure, you use it on your pancakes, waffles, and French toast; on oatmeal, cold cereal, biscuits, and toast.

But maple syrup is a sweetener, just like sugar and honey. It can be used instead of another sweetener in any recipe see below for substitutions). Try maple syrup with:

 
Here are more ways to use maple syrup.

Also check out the maple recipes below, and the one that follows the next section.

Also check out the recipe links in the photos.
 
 
PURE MAPLE SYRUP FROM CANADA

Until the 1930s, the U.S. produced most of the world’s maple syrup. But following rapid growth in the 1990s, Canada now produces more than 80% of the world’s maple syrup, the vast majority from the province of Quebec, which contributes 70% of global production.

And, even though the U.S. produces much of the remaining 20% of world production*, 64% of Canadian maple syrup exports go to the U.S. [source]!

Americans use a lot of maple syrup!

Learn more about Pure Maple Syrup From Canada on the website sponsored by the Québec Maple Syrup Producers, and check out the many recipes.
 
 
RECIPE: MAPLE TAFFY ON A STICK

This recipe takes just 5 minutes to prepare and 7 minutes to cook. You can add bacon, peanuts, and other recipes including cinnamon pecan, coconut, matcha, pretzel, and sesame seeds. Head to the recipes section of Pure Maple From Canada.
 
Ingredients

 
For an optional flavor coating, choose one of the following:

 
Preparation

This is the microwave method. For stovetop instructions, see the footnote† below.

1. GREASE lightly the top 3/8″ of the inside of a microwave-safe container. This will keep the syrup from bubbling over. Pour the maple syrup into the container.

2. FILL a large flat tray or bin with snow, packing it down. Set it outside or in the freezer while the syrup comes to temperature.

3a. HEAT the maple syrup for 7 to 10 minutes in the microwave (cooking time may vary by machine).

3b. You’ll know it’s ready when drops of taffy turn into soft little balls in a glass of cold water. You can then pour the taffy into a container and refrigerate it until ready to use, or pour it in lines on the snow or crushed ice.

4. ROLL up the taffy on sticks for instant lollipops. If you’re adding a flavor, roll the stick of taffy in the coating and place it on wax paper or parchment until you’re ready to enjoy them. You can also wrap individual lollipops in wax paper and keep the pops for a few days.
 
 
HOW TO TO SUBSTITUTE MAPLE SYRUP IN RECIPES

Use 1/2 cup of maple syrup in place of 1 cup of granulated sugar; decrease the liquid in the recipe by one-half. Add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda for each cup of maple syrup used in substitution. Decrease oven temperature by 25°F.

To use maple sugar as a substitute in recipes: use 1/2 to 3/4 cup of maple sugar in place of 1 cup cane sugar.
 
 
STORING MAPLE SYRUP

Maple syrup packaged in glass or metal can be stored for up to one year in the refrigerator in its original container. However, some people who buy in large quantities repackage and freeze the syrup, then take it out of the freezer as needed.

Most good maple syrup is not packaged in plastic, because plastic “breathes” and allows air into the container. If you do have maple syrup in plastic and plan to store it for more than three months, pour it into clean glass jars.

If you have too much syrup, just freeze it! Pour it into glass freezer jars to one inch from the top, and freeze. You can also freeze it in ice cube trays, then remove the cubes to an airtight freezer container.
 
 
MORE MAPLE SYRUP RECIPES

 
 
MORE TO DISCOVER

> How Maple Syrup Is Made

> Maple Syrup History
 
 
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*Vermont is the biggest U.S. producer, followed by New York and Maine. Wisconsin, Ohio, New Hampshire, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Connecticut all produced marketable quantities of maple syrup.

Maple syrup is produced on a small scale in Japan and South Korea. However, in South Korea, it is traditional to consume maple sap, called gorosoe, instead of processing it into syrup [source].

†Stovetop taffy: Follow steps 1 and 2 above. Then place a saucepan on medium-high heat with a candy thermometer on the rim or its prob in the syrup. Bring to a boil. Keep the temperature between 237° and 240°F for about 20 minutes. IMPORTANT: Never stir the syrup during and after cooking because it may cause the taffy to crystallize. Continue with step 3b above.

If you want to celebrate the holidays with affordable bubbly, look to Prosecco. It’s great for toasting, for serving with lighter courses—from seafood to chicken and turkey to pasta—and for enjoying as an after-dinner drink. It’s a wine that pairs well with spicy foods, including Chinese, Indian, Thai, and other Asian cuisines. And because of its lightness and high acidity, it can easily be drunk with a vinaigrette-dressed salad.

For cocktails, you can enhance Prosecco:

 
Add the liqueur to a flute or tulip glass, then top it with the Prosecco. Give it the lightest stir: You don’t want to break the bubbles.

Prosecco (pro-SEK-o) is the name of a village in the Veneto region of northeast Italy (photo #2). It’s located in the hills of the province of Treviso, between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.

The town gives its name to the Prosecco sparkling wines that are made in the area. The wine is often labeled Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene, after its the hilly area where the two towns are situated. The Prosecco grape—now known as the Glera grape†—is the principal grape grown there.

Glera, a thin-skinned green grape, has been grown in the regions of Veneto and Friuli for hundreds of years†. Prosecco wines must contain at least 85% Glera.

Here’s more about Prosecco.
 
 
LA GIOIOSA PROSECCO

La Gioiosa (joy-OH-suh) is one of Italy’s leading producers of Prosecco. The name literally means “the joyous one.” We recently tasted two varieties from the line: La Gioiosa Prosecco Treviso DOC and La Gioiosa Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG.

 
While the Prosecco Treviso was light and charming, the Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG is a heavier-body, more nuanced wine. We enjoyed it with every course at Thanksgiving dinner, including the turkey, and will be having it at Christmas dinner as well.

La Gioiosa Prosecco Types

While we only tasted the two Proseccos above, the La Gioiosa line includes other styles of Prosecco, including brut, dry, extra dry, and rosé.

See the whole line here.

Discover more on the company website.
 
 
DOC AND DOCG PROSECCO: THE DIFFERENCE

Most Proseccos are DOC wines, Denominazione d’Origine Controllata/ This designation attests that the grapes were grown, and the wine was made, in the Treviso area of the Veneto.

Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, on the other hand, is produced exclusively with grapes in the hills of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene zone, an area with superior terroir* (photo #3).

Under Italian wine law, DOCG is the highest designation of quality among Italian wines. It stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF PROSECCO
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPARKLING WINE

[1] La Gioiosa Prosecco: sparkling wine for any celebration (photos #1, #3 and #4 © La Gioiosa).

[2] The Veneto region of Italy, home to the towns of Belluno, Padua, Rovigo, Venice, Verona and Vincenza—and most important for this article, Treviso, the home of Prosecco (image © Vonvikken | Wikipedia).

[3] The hills of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene zone, home to the town of Prosecco and to the DOCG grapes.

[4] La Gioiosa Prosecco is available in 750 ml bottles and 187 ml splits.

*Terroir, pronounced tur-WAH, is a French agricultural term referring to the unique set of environmental factors in a specific habitat that affects a crop’s qualities. These include climate, elevation, proximity to a body of water, slant of the land, soil type, and amount of sun. These environmental characteristics give the wines produced from these grapes a unique character.

†The Glera grape is of Slovenian origin. It was brought to the village of Prosecco from the Karst region, a plateau that extends across the border of southwestern Slovenia and northeastern Italy. The variety was formerly mostly referred to as Prosecco, but in the EU was renamed “Glera” in 2009 to make room for the protection of “Prosecco” as the name of a geographically-protected wine [source].

[1] Lovers of California and Washington wines can find great values from de Négoce (photo © Kym Ellis | Unsplash).

[2] De Négoce’s value proposition (photo © de Négoce).

[3] There are excellent values in red, white and rosé wines (photo © Ray’s Boathouse) .

[4] 2018 Napa Valley Mountain Meritage, a $98 value* for $29, 56% off (photos # 4, 5, and #6 © de Négoce).

[5] 2019 Russian River Valley Chardonnay, $50 value* for $19, 70% off.

[6] 2020 Russian River Rose of Pinot Noir, $30 value* for $14 (53% off).

Cameron Hughes has been working in the wine industry for more than 20 years. In his newest venture, de Négoce, négociant Hughes buckles down on his goal of offering high-quality wine at deeply reduced prices. (There’s more about that below). But first: What’s a négociant?

Négociant means trader in French. A wine négociant is a wine trader, better known as a wine merchant. There are two types of négociants:

 
If you’re a fan of French wines, some of the best-known Burgundy producers are négociants: Maison Louis Jadot, Maison Joseph Drouhin, and Bouchard Père & Fils, for example.

These brands own their own vineyards, but also buy grapes from neighboring growers to increase their output.

While the title of négociant is most closely associated with France, there are négociants all over the world, from California to South Africa.
 
 
HOW DO YOU BENEFIT FROM NÉGOCIANTS?

A good négociant is able to sell higher-quality wines at lower prices than a vineyard or winemaker can sell directly.

They work with smaller, family-owned vineyards that don’t have the resources to bottle and sell their wines at a reasonable price.

Négociants have economies of scale.
 
 
DE NÉGOCE NÉGOCIANT

Cameron Hughes founded de Négoce in 2020, offering wine lovers a unique opportunity for buying luxury wine at affordable prices.

De Négoce became the #1 direct-to-consumer wine brand in the country in just one year of business.

De Négoce was named 2021 Wine Company of the Year in the 18th Annual Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition. The company also received an unprecedented 53 medals, 35 of which were platinum and gold with 90 to 94-point scores for wines priced from $12 to $29.

The brand’s focus is sourcing excess exceptional wines from iconic and boutique wineries, and selling them directly to consumers at prices of 60% to 80% off.

How can the prices be so low? As a négociant, de Négoce cuts out the middlemen.

Most of the wines are from California: Alexander Valley, Napa Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains, Sonoma Mountain and others. There are also wines from Washington’s Columbia Valley and Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Just a few examples of the wines and values*:

 
Wine Futures

In addition to purchasing bottles of wine, de Négoce also sells “wine futures,” where you can save 60% or more by buying wine before it’s bottled.

This practice, known as en primeur (wine futures in English), is well established across many wine regions in France: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Piedmont, and the Rhône Valley, as well as Port in Portugal.

You pre-purchase bottles at very deep discounts before the wine is ready to be bottled prices. You rely on the reputation of the winery or the négociant to sell you a quality wine for 70-90% off retail.

Here’s more about de Négoce wine futures.

Here’s a beginner’s guide to wine futures.
 
 
NEXT STEPS

The wines are offered by email, and can sell out in an hour. Head to the website to sign up.

Check out the Bottle Shop: wines in bottles currently for sale.
 
 
________________

*Discount reflects percent off comparably priced products.

December 14th is National Biscuits & Gravy Day. Biscuits and gravy emerged as a Southern regional dish after the Revolutionary War (1775–1783), when foodstuffs and cash were in short supply. Breakfast was the most substantial meal of the day, to fuel people for the hard work ahead. Biscuits covered in gravy made from meat drippings, and possibly bits of meat, fit the bill.

Nowadays there are different types of gravy and different types of biscuits for your consideration.

We’ve got a classic biscuits and gravy recipe for you, as well as something a bit different:

Biscuits with seafood gravy.

Check out more biscuit recipes below.. You can match a gravy or sauce with them—for example, bacon and sweet potato biscuits with blue cheese sauce, or Reuben biscuits with horseradish sauce.

> The History Of Biscuits

> The History Of Bread

> The Different Types Of Bread

> Biscuit Holidays
 
 
TYPES OF BISCUITS

 
There are numerous variations on the above. Self-rising biscuits are made with self-rising flour. Cream biscuits are made with heavy cream, Sourdough biscuits are made with sourdough starter.

One note about American biscuits: These do not exist in the U.K. There, a biscuit is a cookie or a cracker. What we think of as a roll or biscuit is a scone in the U.K. Our roll is their cob. There, a bun may look like a kind of American roll, but it is sweet. A burger bun is called a bap. And so on, and so forth. Here’s a longer discussion.
 
 
MORE BISCUIT RECIPES

 
 
CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.
 
 

[1] Biscuits and gravy. You can make the dish more substantial by adding a slice of ham (photo © Betty Crocker).

[2] Biscuits and gravy topped with a fried egg. You can also add a slice of ham (photo © St. Louis Magazine).

[3] Biscuits with tomato gravy. Here’s the recipe (photo © Whitney Miller | Vidalia Onions | Facebook).

[4] A different approach Thanksgiving leftovers on a biscuit with gravy (photo © Mason Dixie Foods).