Maple Butter

From the iconic maple leaf flag to the maple syrup cookies you can find throughout the country, Canada’s history and culinary culture are closely tied to the maple tree. In the spirit of Vancouver’s 2010 Winter Olympics, your child can add a little maple goodness to his own culinary endeavors. This super quick and easy concoction of syrup and butter can be spread on pancakes, waffles, muffins, or even a batch of homemade scones. Not only will your child be able to create a special treat all on his own, but he will also get a culinary science lesson in states of matter.

What You Need:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) refrigerated butter
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup

Before you start: Have your child remove the butter from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and place it in a bowl. Examine the butter with your child. Allow him to cut it with a table knife and try to spread it around the bowl. Explain how butter is hard when it is cold, but will soften and become easier to work with if it sits out at room temperature. Once he's done experimenting, allow the butter to come to room temperature. Be sure to ask him to guess how long he thinks it will take for the butter to become soft.