Tag Archives: maple syrup

Maple Apple Crisp

September 23, 2023 | Blog, Featured Article, Featured Recipe, Recipes, Sweet

Maple Apple Crisp

Apple season in Vermont is one of my favorite times. There are several orchards nearby and we have both cultivated and wild apple trees growing on our farm. The combination of maple, spices and apples is amazing. Top with a crumbly, buttery oat mixture and you have a dessert that is sure to bring out autumn vibes!

Apples

6 apples of any variety, I prefer Macintosh or Paula Red, mixing varieties is also great

1/2 Cup Couching Lion Maple Sugar

1 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon (divided)

1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Topping

1/2 cup of pure Couching Lion Maple Syrup

3/4 cup of oats

3/4 cup of all purpose flour

1/2 cup butter

dash of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Butter an 8×8 baking dish, or spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add chopped apples, granulated maple sugar, 3/4 tsp of the cinnamon and lemon juice.  Stir to combine, then transfer to prepared baking dish.

In a separate mixing bowl, add dry topping ingredients (oats, flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, salt, and diced cold butter).  Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the oat mixture, using a slight downward twisting motion, until mixture resembled pea-sized crumbs.  Alternatively, you can use two forks or even your hands to cut butter into the mixture. Once the butter is well incorporated, stir in maple syrup.

Spread topping over apples in baking dish, and gently pat to even it out.  Bake 40-50 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of maple syrup. Enjoy!

Maple Sugar Pumpkin Spice Muffins

September 4, 2023 | Blog, Featured Article, Featured Recipe, Recipes, Sweet

Maple Sugar Pumpkin Spice Muffins

This classic pairing of maple, pumpkin and spices comes to me from my sister, Juniper. She and her kids are always experimenting in the kitchen with their number one ingredient, maple!

Ingredients

1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)

1/2 cup granulated maple sugar

1/2 cup Couching Lion Maple Syrup

1 and 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling- you can find it canned or halve a pie pumpkin, remove seeds, bake in oven at 350 for an hour, scoop out flesh and puree)

2 large eggs

Method

First, set oven at 425. Mix together the flour, baking soda, spices and salt. In a separate bowl combine vegetable oil, maple sugar, maple syrup, pumpkin puree and eggs. Make a small well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in. Stir just until combined. Lumps are ok! Pour into prepared muffin tin (greased) or paper liners. Bake at 425 for 5 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350 and bake about 15 minutes more or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool muffins completely if using Maple Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting.

The Health Benefits of Real Vermont Maple Syrup

June 6, 2023 | Blog, Featured Article

The Health Benefits Of Real Vermont Maple Syrup

Derived from 100% maple sap and minimally processed over a wood fired arch, our maple syrup is a healthy addition to your meals! Many people enjoy a few tablespoons each day in coffee, over oatmeal or yogurt, in salad dressing and marinades and of course with waffles and pancakes! It has a lower glycemic index than other sugars, making it a better choice for people with insulin resistance. Maple syrup is also packed with minerals and antioxidants. Swap out all your sweeteners for nature’s healthiest syrup!

P e r 6 0 m l ( 1/4 c u p ) , i n % D VMaple SyrupHFCSHoneyWhite SugarBrown Sugar
Manganese1004309
Riboflavin374210
Zinc180201
Magnesium70107
Calcium50005
Potassium50106
Calories217220261196211
Minerals found in maple syrup, high fructose corn syrup, honey, white sugar and brown sugar.

Holiday Newsletter 2022

November 20, 2022 | Blog, In The News

Couching Lion Maple Sugar Farm

Holiday Newsletter 2022

Happy Holidays!

After an exceptionally long and warm Vermont fall, it is starting to feel more like winter is approaching. The days are shorter, most leaves have fallen and we’ve had a couple of light snows. This is good news for our sugar maples which need several months of dormancy in order to produce sweet maple sap in the spring.  

We’re packaging our delicious maple syrup in all shapes and sizes for your holiday gift giving. A small gift of maple syrup is a wonderful way to show gratitude and appreciation.  

Savory, sweet and a cocktail! Maple enhances every dish.

Incredible Maple Bars

Back by popular demand…..

shake up your holiday baking with this maple treat!

Ingredients

Base

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ¼ cup maple sugar
  • 1 cup flour

Topping

  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • ¾ cup maple sugar
  • ½ cup walnuts, chopped
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • pinch of salt

Base

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine butter, maple sugar and flour and stir until the mixture is crumbly. Press mixture into an 8 inch greased baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Topping

  1. In a saucepan, combine the maple syrup, maple sugar and walnuts and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter and stir until melted.
  2. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the flour and salt. Add egg mixture to maple syrup mixture and stir to combine. Pour over the base and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until set. Cool completely before cutting.

Vanilla Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour

Courtesy of Half Baked Harvest

In a cocktail shaker combine 2 ounces bourbon, 1 ounce lemon juice, 1 tablespoon Couching Lion Maple Syrup, a dash of vanilla extract and a pinch of cinnamon. Shake and strain into your favorite glass!

Check out Half Baked Harvest for many more creative maple inspired recipes.

Maple Syrup Glazed Red Cabbage

This colorful vegetable pairs well with poultry and is a delicious non-traditional Thanksgiving dish.

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

  • 5 slices bacon, minced
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 1 medium firm, tart apple, peeled, cored and sliced
  • 1 pound red cabbage (about ½ head), cored, outer leaves removed and shredded
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½cup maple syrup
  • Salt and black pepper
  1. Step 1Heat oven to 350 degrees. In an ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven large enough to hold all of the ingredients, sauté the bacon over medium until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 more minutes.
  2. Step 2Add the apple, cabbage, bay leaf, maple syrup, and season with salt and pepper, cover, and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.

Join the 123rd Audubon Christmas Bird Count

Our sugarbush is enrolled in Audubon’s Bird friendly Maple Project.We love seeing how our forest stewardship protects habitat for birds. Participate in the Christmas Bird Count from your neck of the woods or get in touch if you’d like to bird in our sugarbush.

Whether giving as a gift or keeping for yourself, maple syrup is the perfect addition to your gatherings with friends and family. Shop all our products online or visit our Maple Kiosk on Aestivalis Hill!

As 2022 draws to a close, we want to thank all our wonderful customers, friends and family who support our business. We are grateful for so much. Wishing you a happy, healthy and peaceful holiday.

XO From Huntington,

Chaska, Matt and Sugardog Archie

Spring 2022 Newsletter

May 21, 2022 | Blog, Featured Article, In The News

Welcome Springtime!

Sugaring season in the northeast ended in mid-April.  The taps have been pulled and our sugar maples are now in the phase of growing leaves which will begin the process of making next year’s sugar through photosynthesis.  We are also continuing the cycle of preparation for next year’s season. Right now the most pressing job is to cut, split and dry wood to be used in our wood fired evaporator. Read on for more news from the farm  and delicious, maple inspired recipes!

Sugarers were concerned when March started off with 60 degree temperatures, but the season quickly looked up as freezing nights returned. 

Maple sap starts at 1% or 2 % sugar and the rest is water and various nutrients. Maple syrup is 67% sugar. The nutrients remain and a lot of water is evaporated. We boil over a wood fire for the best caramelized flavor. Matt is always a fast moving blur during sugaring!

After several hours…maple syrup is poured off!

The finished product is hot packed into our new custom glass.

All our firewood is sustainably harvested. Most comes from trees downed in windstorms. Being on a mountain means lots of wind damage!

Finally we are seeing spring flowers! Check out this fun guide to Vermont’s Spring Flowers.

The songbirds are back! Our sugarbush is certified as Bird Friendly through the Audubon Bird Friendly Maple Project. Every spring we are amazed at the number of birds who make their home on our hillside until late summer. Learn how to Bird By Ear in this fun article by Gwendoyln Causer.

King of the sugarbush! On April 1, we celebrated two years with our our little pandemic sugar dog, Archie. As a stray from Texas it’s taken a couple of years for Archie to feel comfortable in the woods and with Vermont weather. He has come around though, and spent lots of time helping with sugaring this spring.

Finally we’re getting some heat in Vermont! As a full-time teacher I spend most of the day inside. As soon as I get home, Archie and I head out to the sugarbush to look for Matt, check on the songbirds or just enjoy the beauty of quiet nature.

Sweet Treats for Spring

Maple Sugar Bars

These delicious bars are reminiscent of pecan pie, yet the maple and walnut create a much more robust flavor. Serve once they have cooled, maybe with a dollop of whipped cream to create a special dessert.

Ingredients

Base

Topping

Instructions

Base

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine butter, maple sugar and flour and stir until the mixture is crumbly. Press mixture into an 8 inch greased baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Topping

  1. In a saucepan, combine the maple syrup, maple sugar and walnuts and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter and stir until melted.
  2. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the flour and salt. Add egg mixture to maple syrup mixture and stir to combine. Pour over the base and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until set. Cool completely before cutting.

Extra Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

These pancakes are extra fluffy due to a shot of seltzer. See how it stacks up against your favorite pancake recipe!

Ingredients

Serves 4

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons Couching Lion Maple Sugar

1¼ teaspoons baking powder

1¼ teaspoons baking soda

1¼ teaspoons kosher salt

2 large eggs

1¾ cups buttermilk

½ cup cold seltzer water or club soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more

Pure Vermont Couching Lion Maple Syrup (for serving)

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl and wet ingredients in a second small bowl. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir. The batter will be slightly lumpy and should not be over stirred.

Heat a greased griddle or frying pan. Scoop out batter in 1/4 cups, leaving plenty of space for the pancake to expand. Look for bubbles to form and then flip.

We always heat the maple syrup for pancakes! Add about 2 tablespoons per serving to a small pan. Heat slowly and watch carefully. Maple syrup boils over quickly!

Serve immediately and enjoy the rest of the morning (or evening if you’re having pancakes for dinner….an actual real thing we do in Vermont)!

Enjoy springtime wherever you are! We look forward to sharing this season’s maple syrup with you. Click the green links or the button below to shop for your own springtime sweet maple syrup!                       

 XO From Huntington,

Chaska, Matt and Archie

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Rustic Maple Apple Compote

September 26, 2021 | Featured Recipe, Recipes, Sweet

Rustic Maple Apple Compote

Maple syrup and Vermont apples are a classically delicious combination. This recipe combines the two to create a chunky, rustic compote. It’s delicious on its own or serve with ice cream, yogurt and a sprinkle of granola or as a side with savory dishes. You can choose to peel the apples or cook unpeeled. Either way is delicious!

2 pounds apples,

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Maple Sugar Strawberry Sauce

April 30, 2020 | Recipes, Sweet

Maple Sugar Strawberry Sauce

It’s May in Vermont and the stores are packed with strawberries. Our own local strawberries won’t be available until June, but it’s hard to resist buying this delicious little fruit as soon as it becomes available. This sauce can be used in a myriad of ways. Try it over cheesecake, ice cream or Greek yogurt. It’s also a fantastic addition to savory dishes. Serve it alongside a roasted pork loin or on a cheese platter.

 » Read more about: Maple Sugar Strawberry Sauce  »