Well it’s that time a year again…the holidays are here, and we all know what that means…PIE. And lots of cooking. With lots of yummy Winter comfort food and ingredients, like maple syrup.
Every year I try to make a new pie and experiment away from the traditional pumpkin, cherry and apple pies. I got a new cookbook title The Maple Syrup Cookbook with some awesome recipes in it and was inspired to make some of them for Thanksgiving this year with the family.
This French Canadian Maple Brown Sugar Walnut Pie is super delicious and was a hit at the table this year!
It’s similar to Pecan pie but has a touch of maple syrup and apple cider vinegar along with a big mess of chopped walnuts, brown sugar, brewed tea, and eggs all baked in a lovely crust. It has a nice balance of sweetness and tartness with lots of crunch and a gooey filling – super #delish!
I always make Brussels sprouts for the holidays, but this year I made Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts from the cookbook, using a touch of maple syrup for sweetness to the recipe instead of the balsamic drizzle I  normally use with the bacon, shallots and vinegar.
They both went great with our Thanksgiving dinner and were absolutely divine with some lovely Riesling wine to go with.
I’m definitely a big fan of this cookbook and these new recipes and I hope you try them too – I’m thinking I’ll make the Maple-Bacon Bread Pudding that’s in the book this year for Christmas Brunch! Stay tuned for that one on the blog soon!
Happy Holidays! xoÂ
Ingredients
- Maple Brown Sugar Walnut Pie
- 1 9-inch pie crust (homemade or frozen)
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/4 cup brewed tea
- 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts:
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup finely chopped sweet onion (or substitute shallots)
- 1-1 1/4 pounds Brussels Sprouts, halved
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional, I did not use)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Maple Brown Sugar Walnut Pie
- Prepare the pie shell according to the directions and line a 9-inch pie plate with the pie pastry and refrigerate or freeze. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Whisk together eggs and sugar in large mixing bowl. Add maple syrup, butter, tea, vinegar and salt, whisking until smooth. Stir in the walnuts. Place the pie shell on a heavy baking sheet and pour in the filling.
- Bake on the center rack of oven for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temp to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for about 25 minutes longer until the center is set. Let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temp with whipped cream or ice cream. Also good cold.
- Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts:
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Transfer to paper towels and let cool. Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the skillet.
- Add the butter and onions to the skillet, and saute over medium heat until translucent, 7-8 minutes. Stir in the Brussels sprouts and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken broth.
- Cover and braise the Brussels sprouts until not quite tender, about 3 minutes. Uncover the pan, stir in the mustard, and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Continue to cook uncovered, until sprouts are tender and liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup just before taking off the heat, and transfer to a serving dish and top with the cooked crumbled bacon. Serve immediately.
