Canadians are known for maple, so to celebrate Canada Day, these mini muffins have maple in the batter and in the glaze too!
DO YOU PREFER IMITATION OR REAL MAPLE SYRUP?
Maple syrup is one of those things where John.e and I disagree. He prefers real maple syrup, but I prefer the artificial stuff. Whenever I include maple into my recipes though, I always use the real maple syrup. (I save my fake, cheap stuff for myself!) I know Aunt Jemima Syrup is not authentic maple syrup, but it has maple flavour and I love the thickness of it!
Since maple can be a little bit sweet, I didn’t use a whole lot. In the batter and the glaze, there’s only a quarter cup of maple syrup, which is really not that bad. So, if you’re planning to use the real stuff, which can be rather expensive, don’t worry because you won’t be using too much of it. Let’s talk about how maple syrup is made and why it is synonymous with Canada.
HOW WE GET REAL MAPLE SYRUP
Maple syrup is usually made from the sap of sugar, red, or black maple trees. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter. The starch is converted to sugar which rises in the sap in late winter and early spring. Maple trees are tapped by drilling holes into their trunks and collecting the sap. The sap is processed by heating to evaporate much of the water, leaving the concentrated syrup.
First collected and used by the indigenous peoples of North America, and adopted by European settlers, maple production was gradually refined and improved in the 1970s. The Canadian province of Quebec is by far the largest producer, responsible for 70 percent of the world’s syrup supply.
MAPLE SYRUP IS SYNONYMOUS WITH CANADIANS
Maple products are considered emblematic of Canada, and are frequently sold in tourist shops and airports as souvenirs. The maple leaf has come to symbolize Canada, and is depicted on the country’s flag. So, Happy Canada Day – let’s enjoy some Canada Day Maple Glazed Mini Muffins!
What’s on your agenda for this coming Canada long weekend? Do you, your family, and your friends spend the day in the backyard or at a park? Do you help prepare a potluck, a barbecue, or a picnic? And, do you all wait until dark to set off those fireworks?
This year, we’ll be spending the long weekend in the country. (Well, it’s country to us!) Just recently, John.e and I bought a house about three hours drive northeast of Toronto. If you’ve spent much time at Lord Byron’s Kitchen, you will have read about our longing to bid the city farewell and move into a farmhouse. Well, even though the farmhouse dream didn’t come true, we came a very close second!
I think this is the first time I mentioned purchase of a home on the blog. The plans for Canada Day weekend – and almost every weekend in the coming months – is to clean, renovate, paint, etc., until we get the 160-year old country home looking and feeling the way we want it to be. It’s going to be a labour of love, but I’m sure the hard work will be all worth it once it’s move-in ready.
HAPPY CANADA DAY!
Whatever you do, however you celebrate, do so with something that’s white and red – even if it’s just sprinkles! Eat Canadian-inspired and themed food and eat lots of it! Lastly, stay safe and have fun! Happy Canada Day, Dear Reader!!
Oh, at the beginning of this post, I mentioned that John.e and I share differences when it comes to maple syrup. So, if you’re curious about our other differences, you’re most welcome to read all about them. I’ve posted quite a few in my Rustic Raspberry Crumble recipe. I trust you’ll get a little giggle out of some of them!
Canada Day Maple Glazed Mini Muffins
Ingredients
For the Donuts:
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the Glaze:
- 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup sprinkles, Canada Day themed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray a 12-hole mini muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, use a hand-held mixer to blend together the milk, sour cream, eggs, and maple syrup.
- Next, beat in the butter and vegetable oil.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and cinnamon. Beat into the wet ingredients.
- Using a small cookie scoop, portion about 1 1/2 teaspoons of muffin batter into each muffin cavity in the mini muffin tin.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool. (Depending on how many mini muffin tins you have, you will need to bake in batches.)
- When the mini muffins have fully cooled, whisk together the confectioner's sugar, maple syrup, milk, and cinnamon until the icing is smooth and consistent. For a thicker icing, add more confectioner's sugar. For a thinner icing, add about 1/2 teaspoon of milk at a time.
- Dip the mini muffin, top side down, into the icing. Lightly shake the excess icing off and place onto a wire cooling rack with a baking sheet under it.
- Sprinkle the tops of the mini muffins with sprinkles and allow the icing to harden before serving.
- Once the icing is hard, pack mini muffins in a resealable container with a tight-fitting lid to keep fresh.
Nutrition
Leave a Reply