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Recipes

The following recipes have been enjoyed in Mohawk Valley kitchens for over 200 years.  They are presented here in the hope that you might enjoy them too!

MOTHER JAKEMAN’S RICE PUDDING

Wash half a cup of rice and put in a pan with water just covering the rice, bringing it to a boil. Add 3 cups of milk; let it come to a scald and then cook slowly about medium heat. Cook for 2 hours, adding milk if thickening. When rice is cooked, turn heat up high for 1 minute and add the following:

1. 1 egg beaten,
2. 1 tsp. vanilla and half cup of maple syrup,
3. 1 tsp nutmeg or 1 tsp. cinnamon or both.

Maple gingerbread

Sift together flour, soda, ginger and salt. Set aside.  In a separate bowl, beat the egg vigorously, then stir in maple syrup, sour cream and butter.  Mix cream and butter.  Mix in the flour combination and pour into a greased flat pan.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 or until cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Maple frosting is a tasty option.

Jack Wax is one of the universal traditions of Sugaring Off. This instant maple confection is made by dropping hot syrup from the kettle onto well packed snow in "bite-sized" pools. These delicious, waxy treats are popped immediately into the mouth.

Here is a delicious winter treat that is easy to make and has only two ingredients: maple syrup and new snow. My grandma taught me to make this confection and called it jack wax.

Put 1 cup of real maple syrup in a pan and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer to 235 degrees on a candy thermometer (if you don't have a candy thermometer, cook until "soft ball" stage, which means a spoonful of the syrup dropped into a cup of cold water forms a soft ball). While the syrup is simmering, take a 9-by-13-inch cake pan and fill it with clean snow, packed down well. When the syrup reaches softball, slowly pour the hot syrup in ribbons onto the packed snow.

With clean fingers, pick up a section of the caramel-like candy and pop it in your mouth. The combination of the super-sweet maple syrup and the slightly metallic taste of the cold fresh snow is a delightful winter treat.

Take one smoked ham. Soak overnight in cold water. Wash and remove all mold. Place ham in a large container with lid and fill 3/4 full with water. Boil hard for 1/2 hour, reduce heat and cook slowly 4-5 hours, turning every 2 hours. Remove the outer skin from ham, leaving layer of fat. Coat with mixture of Maple Syrup, cinnamon, sweet cider and cider vinegar. Sprinkle with fresh bread crumbs. Score and dot with cloves. Brown in oven for 30 minutes.

Maple Butternut Fudge

Boil 1 quart Fancy Grade syrup to 236 degrees F. Cool in cold water until syrup becomes waxy. Start stirring until syrup starts to turn white. Stir in 1/4 cup of chopped butternuts (use walnuts if butternuts aren't available) quickly. pour in greased pan and cut into squares immediately.

Maple Syrup Donuts

3 Cups sour milk                     
2 1/2 Tablespoons baking soda
1/2 Tablespoon cream of tartar        
2 Tablespoons salt
1/4 Tablespoon ginger                 
4 Eggs (beat well)
6 Tablespoons soft or melted butter   
3 Tablespoons sugar
Flour (enough to make a soft dough)

Mix together dry ingredients. set aside. Mix all moist ingredients then slowly add the dry mixture. Fry till golden brown and serve hot with maple syrup in small bowls. Large sour dill pickles go well with this. - Goodrich's Sugarhouse (Ruth Goodrich)  

Pancakes (or Griddlecakes)

The correct word depends on what you have to cook them on.

Flour, 1 1/2 cups
Baking powder, 3 1/2 teaspoons
Salt, 3/4 teaspoon
Sugar, 3 tablespoons
Egg, well beaten, 1
Milk, about one cup
Shortening, melted, 3 tablespoons

Sift flour; add baking powder, salt and sugar; sift again.

Combine egg, milk and melted shortening (slightly cooled); the amount of milk to use will depend on the thickness of pancakes desired; 3/4 cup milk will give thick cakes, 1 1/4 cups milk will make them quite thin. Pour into flour mixture and stir just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Do not beat.

Bake on a hot griddle. Same heat rule as for French toast. Serve hot with butter and syrup. Makes 1 to 1 1/2 dozen cakes.

French Toast

Break as many eggs as you think you'll need into a bowl. Don't worry if you don't break enough, you can add more later.

Add a smidgen of milk, and vigorously beat it with a fork or what have you.

Heat up a frying pan or griddle and throw in a hunk of butter big enough to coat the surface when it's melted (the butter that is).

Dip a piece of bread in the concoction of eggs and milk, flipping it over to coat both sides. Some people like it thoroughly soaked, others just coated.

Quickly place the wet bread into the pan. The pan temperature isn't too important. The hotter it is, the quicker the toast will cook. Don't have it hot enough to burn it! After the toast has browned on the bottom side, flip it over with a spatula. (You can get one of these at Spatula City). After both sides have cooked to your satisfaction, remove the toast from the pan to the serving plate. If you're going to serve a lot of people, you may want to place this in a warm oven until you've cooked enough to serve.

Serve with butter for those who want it, and maple syrup.

This is a good breakfast for the man of the house to prepare as it is so quick and easy. You'll get rave reviews for your cooking, primarily because of the enhancement of the maple syrup! Works for me! - Ed Sanders

Kitty's Fritters

A Kniskern Family recipe from the Schoharie Valley

1 pint of milk 3 eggs

3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

Stir milk and eggs into dry ingredients. Fry in deep fat. Serve as a side dish or as a dessert with maple syrup.

Maple Wine

"Boil 4, 5, or 6 gallons of sap according to its strength into one and add yeast according to the quantity you make.  After it has fermented, set it aside in a cool place well stopped.  If kept for two years, it will become a pleasant and round wine."  from "Valuable Secrets", 1809         

Oatmeal Maple Bread

1 package yeast
1 cup quick cooking oats
3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon very warm water

Put all ingredients into the pan of your bread machine according to the directions for your machine. Use the white bread selection. Press start. Visit Martha's Recipes for more recipes!

Maple Sugar Candy

WARNING!

If you want to make maple sugar, granulated maple sugar, or sugar on snow, you have to boil it down even more. If you're going to do this, you must watch the container like a hawk! I almost burned down a friend's kitchen when I turned away from the stove for about 30 seconds! Fortunately I was able to move the burning mess to the sink before major damage was done. Another time a friend turned away from her stove no more than 5 seconds, and a pot of syrup started boiling over. I quickly grabbed it and lifted it off the burner before any damage was done.

You can buy some maple syrup, and make your own maple sugar, but please be careful! As it cooks down stir it constantly, and reduce the heat towards the end. The last part of turning it to sugar can be done off the stove by rapid stirring.

To make maple sugar candy from maple syrup, boil to 238 degrees F., without stirring. Remove from the heat and stir until fudge-like and no longer glossy. Pour into molds or spread onto cookie sheets. Cut into squares and let harden.

Wild Rice Breakfast

Raisins, blueberries or raspberries

Maple Syrup or Maple Sugar

Wild rice

Milk (optional)

Cook the rice until it is soft and the kernels break open. Flavour with fruit, maple syrup or maple sugar and, if so desired, add milk. Note: If you would like to eat it cold, cook the rice the night before.

Tribal Affiliation : Ojibwa

Origin of Recipe : Offered by Pierre Girard ...who learned this from Turtle Woman