Listen up: Maple syrup is chock-full of manganese and zinc (good things!) and to this day it remains one of the world’s most delicious sweeteners. Unfortunately, the stuff will land me in the infirmary with its massive sugar content if I so much as look at it too long. So, without peeking at the name of this recipe again, can you guess what I did to compensate? Did you just whisper under your breath the word agave? I think we’re starting to finally get somewhere, you and I. In between the hours I spent tweaking and refining the pancake and waffle recipes (pages 28 and 37, respectively), I worked tirelessly on formulating this substitute maple elixir I promise you’ll love.

Ingredients

　　1 cup agave nectar

　　3 tablespoons maple flavor, or to taste

　　Put the agave nectar in a small bowl. Add the maple flavor and stir until fully combined. Taste and adjust maple flavor to desired intensity. The syrup can be stored at room temperature, covered tightly, for up to 1 month.

　　Reprinted December 9, 2011, with permission from Babycakes Covers the Classics by Erin McKenna, © 2011 Clarkson Potter. Buy the full book at Penguin Random House, Amazon, or Bookshop.