Maple Crema Recipes

MAPLE CREMA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put syrup in 4-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. (Use a large saucepan, syrup will bubble up quite high.) Lower heat to simmer and cook until reduced by about two thirds, 15 to 20 minutes. (Syrup is ready when a few drops on a chilled plate are very sticky when rubbed with your fingers.)
• Remove from heat and whisk in cream and milk. Return saucepan to heat and bring to low simmer. Meanwhile whisk yolks well with sugar and salt in large bowl. Remove maple cream from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes, then very slowly whisk it into the yolks. Strain through a chinois or fine-meshed sieve to remove any lumps of yolk.
• Arrange 8 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups in a flat-bottomed roasting pan large enough to accommodate them with 3/4 inch of space in between the cups. Evenly divide the custard among the cups; do not fill to the top. Carefully add enough hot tap water to roasting pan to come a third of the way up sides of cups. Cover roasting pan with foil, tenting it slightly so that foil does not touch top of custards.
• Put pan on middle rack of oven and bake for 35 minutes; rotate pan, then bake another 15 minutes and check for doneness. The custards are done when the centers are set a bit, even jiggly like gelatin. Total baking time will be 50 to 60 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven, remove foil, and let custards cool in water bath until you can safely pick them up, then let them cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, until thoroughly chilled.

MAPLE CREAM

Steps:

• Place the bowl of a stand mixer (or any large heatproof bowl, if using a handheld mixer) in an ice-water bath. Combine maple syrup, oil, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, undisturbed, over medium-high heat. Continue boiling, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 235 degrees (soft-ball stage), 6 to 8 minutes.
• Immediately transfer syrup to bowl in ice-water bath and let stand, undisturbed, until it has cooled to 100 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes. Attach bowl to stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-low speed until mixture becomes thick, creamy, and the color of peanut butter. (This can take anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes, so set a timer and check on it periodically if using a stand mixer.) Transfer cream to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and store in refrigerator or a cool, dark place up to 1 year.

MAPLE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolkson high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes; set aside. In a small saucepan setover medium-high heat, bring the maple syrup to a boil, and cook until it registers240 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
• With the mixer running, slowly pour syrup down the side of the bowl in a slow, steady stream, until completely incorporated, about 1 minute. Continue beating until bowl is just slightly warm to the touch, 4 to 5 minutes. Add butter, one piece at atime, until thoroughly incorporated and the frosting is fluffy, about 4 minutes more.

MAPLE CREMA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Put syrup in 4-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. (Use a large saucepan, syrup will bubble up quite high.)
• Lower heat to simmer and cook until reduced by about two thirds, 15 to 20 minutes (syrup is ready when a few drops on a chilled plate are very sticky when rubbed with your fingers).
• Remove from heat and whisk in cream and milk.
• Return saucepan to heat and bring to low simmer.
• Meanwhile whisk yolks well with sugar and salt in large bowl.
• Remove maple cream from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes, then very slowly whisk it into the yolks.
• Strain through a chinois or fine-meshed sieve to remove any lumps of yolk.
• Arrange 8 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups in a flat-bottomed roasting pan large enough to accommodate them with 3/4 inch of space in between the cups.
• Evenly divide the custard among the cups; do not fill to the top.
• Carefully add enough hot tap water to roasting pan to come a third of the way up sides of cups.
• Cover roasting pan with foil, tenting it slightly so that foil does not touch top of custards.
• Put pan on middle rack of oven and bake for 35 minutes; rotate pan, then bake another 15 minutes and check for doneness.
• The custards are done when the centers are set a bit, even jiggly like gelatin.
• Total baking time will be 50 to 60 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven, remove foil, and let custards cool in water bath until you can safely pick them up, then let them cool to room temperature.
• Refrigerate at least 4 hours, until thoroughly chilled.

MAPLE CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, heat cream until bubbles form around sides of pan. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, brown sugar and cinnamon. Remove cream from the heat; stir a small amount of hot cream into egg mixture. Return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Stir in maple flavoring., Transfer to three 6-oz. ramekins or custard cups. Place in a 6-qt. slow cooker; add 1 in. of boiling water to slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until centers are just set (mixture will jiggle). Carefully remove ramekins from slow cooker; cool for 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours., For topping, combine sugars and sprinkle over ramekins. Hold a kitchen torch about 2 in. above custard surface; rotate slowly until sugar is evenly caramelized. Serve immediately., If broiling the custards, preheat broiler and place ramekins on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Broil 8 in. from heat until sugar is caramelized, 3-5 minutes. Refrigerate until firm, 1-2 hours.

QUEBECOIS MAPLE CREAM PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Place the pie crust in its plate in a large, shallow baking pan lined with foil in case of a boil-over.
• Bring maple syrup to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, to reduce syrup down by about one-quarter. Stir in cream, bring the mixture to a simmer, then remove from heat.
• Whisk egg yolks and egg together in a large bowl. Very gradually add the cream mixture to the eggs, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking constantly. Stir in salt, vanilla extract, and vinegar. Pour the batter into the prepared pie crust.
• Bake until the pie is mostly set but jiggles slightly when moved, about 1 hour. Let cool before serving.