A Maple Disappointment.

A couple of months ago, a man from Brien’s Fine Maple Products contacted me and asked if I’d like to try some of their stuff - for free! So of course I said yes! Then, when it came in the mail a couple of weeks ago, it sat on the counter for a while, I just wasn’t inspired.

Then yesterday I had, what seemed at the time to be a brilliant idea. Maple cupcakes! They’d be so cute.


one of the bottles they sent me.

So I found recipes online for the cupcakes and maple frosting, then started on my way.

I had a bad feeling as soon as I started putting the ingredients together. They just weren’t coming together as they should. I groaned as I put my whole bottle of syrup into the batter, I was sure they weren’t going to come out right.

Then, while they were in the oven, I started on the frosting. I had an even worse feeling about it. There was just too much sugar in it. I tried some off the beater, it just tasted like sugar. You couldn’t even taste the maple.

So when the cupcakes came out of the oven, I tried one without the frosting. It was alright. Just too sweet.

Then I put the frosting on. SO BAD! Gah, it was like a diabetics worst nightmare. It didn’t taste of maple at all.

So, a big disappointment all around. Although, the syrup was delicious on it’s own. If you want some really good Canadian maple syrup, I’d totally recommend Brien’s. They also sent me some maple sugar, hopefully I’ll be more successful with that. Que Sera Sera!



They were pretty cute.

P.S. It’s not a good idea to leave your second batch in the oven for 2 + hours. They come out looking like this.



Here’s the recipe for the cupcakes, just incase you want it.

2 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
3/4 teaspoon(s) ground ginger (i used cinnamon instead)
1 stick(s) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup(s) light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup(s) maple syrup
2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1/2 cup(s) buttermilk
1/2 cup(s) walnuts or pecans, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ginger. Set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together using a mixer set on medium speed in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, syrup, and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the buttermilk. Stir in nuts. Fill 18 lined muffin cups and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool completely.