------------------
-snarf

Maple syrup, composed largely of sucrose, glucose, fructose and small amounts of vitamins and minerals, is simply the concentrated sap of 40+ year-old maple trees. This sap, which is only 2-3% sugars, is collected and concentrated, usually through boiling, until the sugar content reaches a critical 66%. It takes 40 gallons of sap ? the annual output of four trees ? to produce one gallon of syrup.

Powdered?Finely-ground granulated sugar to which a small amount (3%) corn starch has been added to prevent caking. The fineness to which the granulated sugar is ground determines the familiar "X" factor: 14X is finer than 12X, and so on down through 10X, 8X, 6X (the most commonly used) and 4X, the coarsest powdered sugar.

Dextrose?a nonsucrose "sugar" which occurs naturally in many plants, fruits and in honey. In animals, dextrose (also called "glucose" and "grape sugar") is a vital constituent of the blood, and is directly metabolized for immediate energy needs. Dextrose is used in food and beverages as a sweetener (it?s about ? as sweet as sucrose), a browning agent, a humectant, and a fermentation substrate. It is available in liquid (bulk only) and dry forms.

Honey? a sweet, thick, supersaturated sugar solution manufactured by bees from floral nectar to feed their larvae and for subsistence in winter. Honey is composed of fructose, glucose, and water, in varying proportions; it also contains several enzymes and oils. The color and flavor depend on the age of the honey and on the source of the nectar.

Corn Syrup?is not a sucrose product at all, but rather a purified, concentrated solution obtained from the hydrolysis of corn starch. There are many corn syrups, of varying viscosity and sweetness, although none is as sweet as a sugar solution of equal solids. Corn syrups perform many roles in foods and beverages: imparting thickness and mouthfeel, controlling ice crystallization in frozen desserts, acting as a bulking agent, and so forth.

In conclusion, I think your best bet would be corn syrup as it has dextrose in it, much like honey does. I do not believe maple syrup or powdered sugar do (although I could be wrong), so they would probably not work too well.

------------------
-snarf

[This message has been edited by snarf (edited July 28, 2000).]