Converting a Banana Bread to a Maple Banana Bread

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chefathome

Assistant Cook
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Nov 28, 2011
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Hod HaSharon
Hi, All!

Getting back home from a weekend in Vermont, I now have:
  1. The best Maple Syrup ever
  2. Lots of super-riped uneaten bananas
This is why I thought of making the most delicious Banana Bread recipe - the recipe is by the chef of Flour Baker & Cafe in Boston - but converting it into a Maple Banana Bread.

How would you suggest to substitute maple syrup for the sugar in that recipe, and what should be done in addition (changing other ingredients, changing baking temperature, etc.)?

Thanks a lot,
Arnon
 
I'd substitute 2/3 maple syrup for the quantity of sugar (if it calls for one cup of sugar, use 2/3 cup maple syrup). I wouldn't make any other changes.

If you want it a little lower in carbs, substitue one cup of uncooked oatmeal for one cup of the flour.
 
I'm a little late to the party here. I don't know how much maple syrup you bought or the grade, but if it is the flavour you want, adding maple extract would not hurt. I cook with maple syrup all the time--when one taps one's own trees, one can afford to cook with it in place of sugar. You can't always taste the "maple" in baked goods. If you evap it some more, you can make maple sugar and use that in your recipe. You have to watch it closely. Once sap reaches a certain point in the evap process, it evaporates very quickly.
 
Well, I did bake the cake with maple syrup instead of sugar based on the ratio of 3/4 cup maple syrup for every 1 cup sugar. As this cake is anyhow baked in 325F I didn't reduce the temperature more (as recommended in some sites), and also didn't have much liquids to reduce (didn't want to reduce the olive oil, so took off one tsp. sour cream).

The changes in the cake compared to my previous (sugar-based) outcomes:
1. It was less sweet than before;
2. It was less dense than before.

Overall, I think that for this specific cake I preferred the sugar-version. I'll keep experimenting with the maple syrup though (it's Grade A Dark Amber).

Thanks for all the advices!
 
Be sure to refrigerate the opened container. It will mold otherwise. Grade B has a more intense maple flavor than Grade A. If you go back and buy more, you might consider buying some Grade B syrup to use for baking.
 
I'd try it again using a full measure of syrup. Then cook it down some before adding it to the recipe. That should give you the sweetness you miss. A cake that is less dense sounds like a good thing to me.
 
Thanks for the pre-cooking advice. In the case of that specific Banana Bread recipe - a certain degree of density makes it what it is...
 
I have a similar recipe from The Beaver Club (Hotel Queen Elizabeth in Montreal). It bakes for 2.5 hours at 275. It is a very moist, dense bread. Instead of sour cream, it uses buttermilk. Next time I make it, I'll try subbing maple syrup for some of the sugar and let you know how it works.
 
Grade B is definitely the way to go. Also if you contact the Vermont Chamber of Commerce they may have a booklet of recipes using Maple Syrup. Maple Syrup, Cabot Cheese and King Arthur Flour are their main products. My youngest son works in the Springfield Hospital one weekend a month. Every so often he brings home a jug of Maple Syrup for my oldest son. I am diabetic or my son would never see that jug. It would be right in my tummy. :yum::yum:
 
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