Butter and maple syrup belong together
(MCT) — Q: How can I beat butter and maple syrup together? When I try, the mixture separates. I tried putting the bowl in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, but that didn’t help. I made sure the butter wasn’t too soft and the maple syrup was room temperature.
A: To paraphrase “Cool Hand Luke,” what we’ve got here is failure to emulsify. When two substances are chemically different, they will repel each other, particularly when one of those substances is a fat.
But if you can bring oil and vinegar together for a vinaigrette, surely there’s a way to bring butter and maple syrup together.
Since Canada certainly has experts on maple syrup, I looked on several Canadian food sites and found a trick: Heat the maple syrup first.
Put the syrup in a saucepan over low heat and bring up to 234 degrees, also known as the soft-ball stage. Then add the butter, which will melt.
Pour the syrup and butter mixture into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until it’s fluffy. Keep it refrigerated and it should stay together long enough to end up on your pancakes.
Email food and cooking questions to Kathleen Purvis, at kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com.
