Tap into Maple

Sweet Sap

Maple syrup production, also called sugaring season, means tapping into tall mature maple trees to collect their nutritious sap from late winter until the end of spring. After collection, the sweet, watery liquid is reduced by heat, forming sweet and sticky golden deliciousness: maple syrup. Historically, collection in spring and processing in spring and summer meant that maple syrup was available during fall. Hence, maple syrup has become synonymous with warm fall flavors and the harvest season.

MAPLE KARPATKA

Makes 12 servings

Resembling the snow-kissed peaks of Poland’s Carpathian Mountains, the Polish cream cake named karpatka utilizes layers of delicate pastry to sandwich a cream filling. In our maple-infused rendition, we loaded lighter-than-air choux pastry with a buttery maple-packed pastry cream, highlighting rich undertones of maple flavor and dark brown sugar.

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (127 grams) unsalted butter*
½ cup (120 grams) water
½ cup (120 grams) whole milk
2 teaspoons (8 grams) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt