Make maple a staple at your holiday table

Family Features

The holidays are a time to celebrate the warmth of friendship, the love of family and the joy of the season. And when it comes to the holiday meal, you want a menu to match the mood and make everyone feel at home.

Pure Canadian maple syrup is a versatile, all-natural ingredient that adds com plexity and depth to your holiday recipes. The flavorful, yet subtle sweetness in maple syrup brings out the best in savory dishes like a beautiful rib roast, succu lent roasted root vegetables, and an almost decadent sweet potato pur e. It’s no surprise that maple’s nutty, vanilla and spicy hints are the perfect complements for pumpkin mini tarts — but it may surprise you to see just how easy they are to make. Crown your holiday feast with hot maple cider the whole family can enjoy, or for a special grown-up treat, kick it up a notch with a splash of tasty dark rum.

When shopping at the grocery store, be sure to look for “100% pure maple syrup” on bottle labels.

For more flavorful ways to savor your holiday meals, visit the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup’s website, www.purecanadamaple.com, and follow on Twitter @PureCanadaMaple.

Maple Rib Roast

5 pound rib roast, bone-in

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

Ready-made bordelaise sauce

Rosemary sprig for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place roast, with bones side up, in roasting pan. Using a knife, make incisions in the fat. Season entire surface with salt and pepper. Cover ends of bones with aluminum foil.

In bowl, combine maple syrup and mustard, and baste roast with mixture. In another bowl, combine herbs and pepper, then season entire roast. Roast for 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and cook for another 2 hours until the meat is done, but still rare (around 135 degrees). Wrap roast in aluminum foil and let sit for 10 minutes prior to carving. Garnish with rosemary. Serve with bordelaise sauce and Maple Caramel ized Vegetables. 6 to 8 servings

Pumpkin and Maple Syrup Mini Tarts

6 mini tarts

6 3-inch unbaked, mini-tart crust shells

1 egg

1 cup pumpkin pur e

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup whipping cream

Maple syrup to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In bowl, beat egg with pumpkin pur e and maple syrup. Add spices and cream. Mix well to obtain a consistent mixture. Pour mix ture into crust shells. Bake in center of oven for 15 minutes, or until pump kin mixture is firm.

Whip cream with a splash of maple syrup (to taste) until stiff. Serve tarts hot or cold with a garnish of whipped cream, and sprinkle with maple sugar.