Hearty Midwest Maple Syrup Recipes

Ruth Smiley of Parke County, Indiana, gave us her recipe for Maple Syrup Cake, which she makes in a fluted tube pan. We mixed up an easy maple syrup icing to drizzle over the top. Ruth's family produces maple syrup on land that's been in the family for five generations.

The Wisconsin Maple Producers created this recipe to showcase maple syrup and juicy apples in a moist, rich dessert.

Perfect for brunches, mini pork meatballs are a sweet and salty alternative to sides of bacon or sausage.

Traditional sticky buns not quite sweet enough for you? Add sweet potato, maple syrup and syrupy pecans.

Chopped and pitted dates stand out beside the hint of maple syrup in this dark brown, nutty quick bread. This recipe is from Ruth Smiley of Smiley Brothers maple syrup producers in Indiana.

You can taste the maple sweetness in these oatmeal muffins from the Hoosier (Indiana) Maple Syrup Cookbook. Cinnamon and pecans pack the breakfast or snack bread with even more flavor.

This easy skillet cobbler is bursting with harvest flavor: crisp apples, cinnamon, toasted walnuts and sweet maple syrup.

We won't mince words: This is juicy, spicy, sticky, glorious barbecued chicken. One of the secrets? Chicken thighs. They cook fast, like breasts, but they have richer flavor and don't dry out. And nutritionally speaking, the two are more similar than you'd think.

These breakfast rolls are a family tradition with Jean Haviland of Carroll, Iowa. "Mom always makes extra and freezes them for later. They're great for breakfast or any time of day!" she says.

This is a great dairy-free (and cholesterol-free, too) soup in its own right, but a drizzle of Asian-spiced maple syrup adds a wonderfully unexpected kick and dramatic red flourish. The recipe comes from the Birchwood Cafe Cookbook (University of Minnesota Press, $29.95).

Just three ingredients yield a surprisingly flavorful "quickie" barbecue sauce. Try it as a dipping sauce for purchased roasted chicken or breaded, baked chicken breast. You can also toss shredded chicken meat with the sauce for a simple pulled-chicken sandwich. (Bonus points if you add cheddar cheese and toast the sandwich in a panini press!)

The math on these homey bars couldn't be simpler: one pan, one ripe banana and less than one hour from start to finish.

Breathe deeply. This spiced cider tea doubles as aromatherapy from the slow cooker. After cooking, the cider can be kept on the "warm" setting for one hour.

Cutting pears into a fan shape takes this spiced tart's look from homey to holy moly.

This easy, not-too-sweet variation on classic honey-mustard is the Angry Trout Cafe's most popular dressing. Double the recipe if you like: It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to one month.

These sweet oven-roasted carrots are a perfect complement to a holiday menu, but they're easy enough to be a weeknight side. This comfort food recipe comes from Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri.

For easy morning prep, cook the wild rice the day before. The next day, start at Step 3.