Okay, I’ll admit it, I didn’t come up with the recipes myself as I’m a rookie cook. So thanks to the people behind Angie’s Realm for sharing with us these Valentine’s Day maple-y treats. When I’m a better and more experienced cook, I’ll definitely try baking one of these delicious candies.

Maple Cream Balls

• 2 c of maple syrup
• 1/8 ts of salt
• 2 ts of butter
• 1 ts of vanilla extract
• 2/3 c of chopped nuts

Boil maple syrup and salt to soft ball stage (234-238 F). Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Add butter and vanilla extract. Beat until creamy. Add 1/2 of the nuts. Continue beating until mixture is sufficiently firm to mold into small balls. Roll balls in the remainder of the nuts. Place on waxed paper to harden.

Maple Pralines

• 2 c of white granulated sugar
• 1 c of dark brown sugar
• 3 tb of white corn syrup
• 1 c of whipping cream
• pinch of salt
• 2 ts of maple flavoring
• 3 c of pecans

Cook sugars, syrup, cream and salt over high heat until the mixture forms a soft ball (235 degrees) when dropped in water. Remove from heat. Add maple flavoring and pecans. Beat or stir until creamy. Drop from spoon onto waxed paper in bite size pieces. Yield: 4 to 5 dozen.

Real maple syrup is so delicious that it’ll definitely have the same effect on your loved one that chocolate would have. And when you compare the nutritional facts of 100 grams of maple syrup versus 100 grams of dark chocolate candies (% of cacao solids not specified), you can see that maple syrup candies are less calorific than the chocolate ones! Need more reasons why you should give your loved one maple syrup treats? It will turn into a more original gift than the usual chocolate box!

You may think that I’m overreacting a bit, and maybe I am, but poutine is not only a meal that was created in my province but it’s also one of the ultimate comfort foods. Too bad it’s fast food!Poutine was created in the Province of Quebec in the 1950s. The exact details as to where, when and by whom differ a bit. This artery-clogging delicious meal consists of French fries covered with fresh cheese curds and brown gravy sauce. The recipe may sound simple but getting the right taste is tricky.

It’s best to make poutine with fries that are at least twice the width of McDonald’s. Don’t get me wrong, McDonald’s poutine tastes good (yes, McDonald’s does serve poutine, at least in Quebec), but poutine tastes better with thicker fries. (Note that Burger King, A&W, and KFC also have poutine on their menu here.)

Cheese curds are not common throughout America; therefore, many people and restaurants make poutine with melted cheese. Fatal error as poutine gets most of its flavor through the freshness and shape of the curds.

Finally, the gravy. The original recipe asks for hot brown gravy sauce that is poured over the fries and curds. However, another famous kind of poutine replaces the gravy with spaghetti sauce, thus making it an Italian poutine.

Over the years, new types of poutines were created by adding toppings on top of the original recipe. Some add peas, others add sausage, while some prefer adding peppers. The possibilities are endless.

If you want to learn more about poutine and it’s variations, Wikipedia has a nice page about it, filled with links to other sources.

If you ever visit Quebec City, I suggest you stop by “Chez Ashton.” That fast-food chain serves one of the best and fresher poutine in the province. A tip from a local: It’s best to order poutine at “Chez Ashton” during the cold January winter days as the temperature dictates the price. For example, it was -22 Fahrenheit (-30 Celcius) without windchill in Quebec City last Saturday, meaning that we got a 30% discount on the cost of poutine!

Have you ever tried poutine? Did you like it? Which type do you prefer? Share your experience by commenting below.