I have come to the conclusion that if you are serving anything but true maple syrup at your house, then you are doing your entire family an injustice. I love, love, love maple syrup. Not Aunt Jemima. I'm talking about the real deal. It is SO worth the splurge in my book. I love coupons, but I will buy this thing full price. Well, not really full price. I've bought it from Sam's and Amazon. I guess I try to find a deal :) This recipe was screaming to me when I saw it in the Food Network Magazine a couple of months ago. I have another recipe for Blondies with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts that I made a few months ago. It is very similar to the base of this recipe. What makes this recipe spectacular is the sauce. What is there not to love about a sauce made of maple syrup, butter and cream?!? Take the warm blondie, top it with vanilla ice cream and drizzle it all with the warm maple sauce. I can make myself sick with this one. In fact, I think I'm about to go get a second helping now...
For the Blondies:
10 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup walnut pieces, divided
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
6 oz. chocolate chips or chunks
For the Topping:
1/3 cup maple syrup
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
vanilla ice cream, for serving
1/2 cup walnut sprinkles, for garnishing
Make the blondies. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 X 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
Pulse 1/2 cup walnuts in a food processor until almost fine (do not over process). Whisk the ground nuts, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
Beat the butter and brown sugar with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the chocolate and the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until blondies are light brown around the edges and spring back when pressed, about 35 minutes (I had to leave mine in longer).
Meanwhile, make the topping. Place the maple syrup and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the mixture bubbles and thickens, swirling the pan, about 6 minutes (mine never really thickened a whole lot). Add the cream and continue to cook until the mixture is the consistency of caramel (again, mine never really thickened until I removed it from the heat and it cooled slightly).
Cut the blondies into bars and serve topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, chopped walnuts, and a healthy drizzle of the maple-butter sauce.
**And be sure to check out this recipe at Maple Syrup World! They have featured this recipe in their recipe archives. Maple Syrup World is a website that features 100% pure, organic maple syrup and treats. Check out more about them here!
Enjoy!
(adapted from Food Network Magazine)
There is nothing like ending the day on a sweet note. I have missed out on making this recipe the last two times I put it on the Menu. The first time my youngest daughter was sick and got put in the hospital. Not only did I miss out on it, but Shannon from The Bargain Buggy and Aubrey from Eastern Shore Mom missed out as well. I was supposed to go to Destin for a girls weekend and make this for breakfast one morning! Totally bummed. Then, last week I was exhausted from baking cupcakes and completely forgot to make it Saturday night for Sunday morning. I was determined to get it made today! I assembled it this morning before work and baked it this evening. Clay and I were happy with cereal for dinner because we got to have this for dessert! If you've been hiding in a closet and have never heard of The Pioneer Woman, you must go now to check out her site. I've made several recipes of hers and loved the results of all of them. The Chicken Scallopine I made last night was the most recent. I found this recipe because I was looking for things that used pita chips. They were on sale that week at Publix and I have several bags in my stockpile. I LOVE bread pudding and I couldn't wait to see how this turned out! The salt on the pita chips balances out the sweetness of the custard and topping. The blueberries give it a nice tart pop. And you guys know how much I love maple syrup! Either for breakfast or dessert, you can't go wrong with this recipe from The Pioneer Woman.
1 Family Size Bag Stacy's Pita chips
7 large eggs
2 cups whole milk (I used 2%)
1/2 cup heavy cream (can use half-and-half)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
6 oz. fresh blueberries (optional)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar (plus a tad more)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter
Grease 9 X 13-inch baking pan with butter. Pour in bag of pita chips and arrange evenly. In a bowl mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar and vanilla. Pour egg mixture over pita chips. Cover pan tightly with foil and place in refrigerator overnight, or at least 6 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove pan from refrigerator. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over the top. Mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Slice butter and add to bowl, then use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it looks crumbly (I used my mixer to do this).
Sprinkle flour mixture over the blueberries and make sure its evenly distributed. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Chips on top should be crispy and crunchy. Remove from oven and cut into squares. Drizzle with blueberry or maple syrup and serve warm.
Note from The Pioneer Woman: "If you're feeling naughty, top with whipped cream. Just don't say I told you to do it!"
Enjoy!
(adapted from The Pioneer Woman)
Yum Yum Yum! This really hit the spot tonight. I love pecan crusted chicken tenders and I love maple syrup. I found this recipe and knew it was a match made in heaven for me! This was super easy. When I make my other pecan chicken tenders, it is a labor of love. These were much simpler and just as good. The maple syrup really played well with the mashed sweet potatoes. I even added maple syrup to the potatoes. That could certainly be omitted. After all, sweet potatoes are supposed to be healthy. So go easy on the butter and use Splenda instead of sugar. You can't go wrong. Also, instead of boiling the potatoes, if you have the time roast the potatoes in the oven before mashing them. Roasting them in the oven brings out the natural sweetness of the potato, and you will need less butter and sugar to make them taste really good. All of these ingredients are staples in my house, so this will be put on the Menu again. Clay really enjoyed it. I have an idea my stepson, Christian, would love this one too!
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used 6 tenders)
1/4 cup maple syrup, or maple flavored syrup (buy the real thing at Sam's)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I use light)
1/2 cup plain panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped in large cubes
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon sugar (I used a tad more)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional for potatoes)
splash of milk
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray. If using chicken breasts, put breasts in a large zippy bag and pound slightly with a meat mallet (using the smooth side) until they're about 1/2" thick. I used the tenders so I skipped this step. Either way, season the chicken with salt and pepper.
In a shallow dish, whisk together maple syrup and mayonnaise. In another shallow dish, mix together panko and pecans (I had JUST enough to cover 6 tenders). Dip chicken into syrup mixture, then into panko. Place on prepared baking sheet. Top chicken with cooking spray.
Bake 15-20 minutes, turning once, until cooked through.
While chicken is baking, place potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and boil for 10-15 minutes until fork tender. Drain and return to pan away from the heat. Add butter, sugar, cinnamon and maple syrup to the potatoes. Mash with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Season with a dash of salt.
Enjoy!
(chicken adapted from Betty Crocker)
I saw Paula Deen make this casserole on the Food Network several years ago. It looked awesome. We made it that year for our Christmas morning breakfast at my parents house. I've made it several times since then and adapted the recipe some. I found that when I made it as written with the sliced bread the casserole was too soggy. It had all of the components of bread pudding (which I love) so I decided to make it as such. I cubed the bread instead of slicing it and I formed mini loaves in my "mini loaf pan". The results were outstanding. Another reason I love this recipe is because its made the night before and kept in the fridge. Just make the topping in the morning and bake. I love serving it with sliced strawberries and maple syrup. Heaven in my mouth! This is definitely one you are going to want to make. I think this is one of my signature dishes!
1 loaf french bread, cubed in 1-inch pieces (6-8 cups of bread)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
dash of salt
maple syrup
strawberries
Praline Topping:
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
Cube bread into 1-inch pieces (I use a whole Italian loaf from the bakery). Allow to sit for a few hours on the counter to stale. The drier the bread, the better it will soak up the egg mixture. spray the mini loaf pans with cooking spray (I use 2 pans making 16 total loaves). Evenly distribute the cubed bread among the cups. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread cubes, making sure all are covered evenly with the egg mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the Praline Topping: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well (I use my fingers). Crumble the praline topping evenly over the bread and bake for 30-35 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. If you make this into a bigger casserole just adjust your baking time. Serve with maple syrup and strawberries.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Paula Deen)
Let's start this one out with a tip: ALWAYS read the recipe all the way through when planning your meals! I had intentions of making Cheesecake Pancakes. I read through the ingredients and knew I had everything to make them. Simple. I'll whip them up. Wrong! I was supposed to slice the cream cheese and allow it to sit in the freezer 8 HOURS or overnight! Well, that just wasn't going to happen this morning at 8:00! So, I started to look for a different cream cheese pancake recipe. I found one and combined the two together. The result was fantastic. I would rather have homemade pancakes over the frozen ones any day. The only thing frozen I will buy and actually enjoy is Eggo waffles. I guess it just brings back the feeling of childhood. These pancakes really aren't that much more difficult than whipping up some Bisquick. One of the original recipes called for self-rising flour (which I do not have) so I made my own and reflected it here in my adapted recipe. The maple syrup and strawberries added that perfect touch. I hope you enjoy these!
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1-3/4 cup milk
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 oz. cream cheese, cubed (small)
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine flour, salt, baking powder and sugar together in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture (or you could just use 2 cups self-rising flour and 2 tablespoons sugar).
Combine egg, milk, softened cream cheese, butter and vanilla, stirring well. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Add the small cubes of cream cheese and stir to mix in (you can slice the cream cheese and stick in the freezer while you're preparing the other ingredients so its easier to cube).
Pour 1/4 cup batter (or less) for each pancake onto a hot (over medium heat), lightly greased griddle pan. Cook pancakes until tops are covered with bubbles and edges appear cooked; turn and cook other side (second side cooks much quicker). Serve pancakes with maple syrup and strawberries.
*I have made extra batches of pancakes and frozen the leftovers. That's one way I'll eat frozen pancakes :)
Enjoy!
(adapted from Southern Living and Betty Crocker)
Happy Birthday Dad! My Dad loves shortbread cookies. We used to always buy him the Walkers Shortbread cookies in the red tins when we were younger. Now, since I'm better in the kitchen, I decided to make some. You all know I love maple syrup, so these were as much for me as they were for him! We were both happy with the results! The dough can be made the night before you need to bake them. I still don't have a rolling pin, so I deconstructed my paper towel holder again. And if you don't have a round cookie cutter don't fret. I used a small Rubbermaid lunch container (the one you would put dressing in or something). They turned out great. I ate my fair share last night then bagged up some for my Dad and brought the rest to work. These cookies are Delish!
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, beaten
Combine flours and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup chopped pecans, set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until smooth and light, about 1 minute. Add the maple syrup, egg yolk and vanilla; beat on medium speed until well combined. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating until just combined. Dough should be smooth and pliable. Flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm, 1-1/2 hours or overnight (I chilled mine for about 2 hours).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper (I just used a non-stick cookie sheet).
On a lightly floured work surface (my big wooden cutting board), roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out rounds using a two-inch cookie cutter; place one inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with beaten egg; sprinkle centers with remaining 1/4 cup pecans. Press pecans into the cookie lightly.
Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until golden around the edges, 10-14 minutes. Mine did not turn really golden. The thinner ones turned more golden and they were crisper. The other ones were more "blond" and they had a softer texture when done. So, just keep an eye on them. I leaned more towards the 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to four days...if they last that long!
Enjoy!
(adapted from MarthaStewart.com)
I have been eye-balling this recipe for some time now. I doubt that maple syrup (the real thing) will ever go on sale. I just buy mine at Sam's and keep it in the fridge because I love it so much. But this week Publix has Aunt Jemima syrup on sale, so I thought close enough. Time to break out that pancake muffin recipe! You could probably substitute the Aunt Jemima if that's what you have on hand. It won't be quite as yummy, but I'm sure it would still be great! These muffins were wonderful. I have never browned butter before, so I was a little intimidated. No need to be though. It was simple. Just keep an eye on it, and once it starts turning brown, remove it from the heat. I loved the texture, the flavor and the maple glaze. Fabulous muffin. I don't think Joy The Baker has probably ever made anything less than wonderful. Don't forget that I'm going to try her Avocado Pound Cake Monday night!
7 tablespoons butter (I used I Can't Believe Its Not Butter Sticks)
1/3 cup milk (I used 2%)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon maple syrup (or Aunt Jemima)
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
For the Maple Glaze:
3/4 cup maple syrup (you could try Aunt Jemima)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Keep an eye on the butter. Melt and cook down the butter until little brown bits appear in the pan (I noticed mine around the edges). The crackling will subside and butter will begin to brown fairly quickly after that. Keep a close eye (Mine took approximately 5 minutes from the first bubbles). Remove from heat.
Whisk, milk, egg, yolk, maple syrup and vanilla until combined. Add the brown butter slowly to the egg mixture, whisking to mix. Combine well (Add it slowly so the heat from the butter doesn't scramble the eggs).
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the milk and butter mixture all at once and gently stir to combine.
Divide the batter among muffin cups evenly (Its supposed to make 12, but I got 11 out of it). Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes.
While the muffins are baking make the maple glaze. In a small saucepan simmer maple syrup and lemon juice, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a thick syrup. This will take about 15 minutes over low heat.
Remove from heat and let it cool slightly to thicken. When the muffins are cool enough to handle, poke a few holes in the muffin top with a toothpick and dip each muffin top in the maple glaze. After dipping all twelve muffins, start with the first muffin you dipped and dip each muffin again.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Joy The Baker)
I love a good Monte Cristo. I found this recipe in the Rachael Ray Magazine featured as a kids' recipe. I thought Ella would really like it. She just wanted a plain waffle. Go figure! I enjoyed my Monte Cristo Waffle'wich though! Instead of using regular bread, you just use two lightly toasted waffles. This week Publix had Aunt Jemima waffles B1G1. Also, with the Target and Manufacturers coupons you may have printed previously, you could score the Oscar Mayer Lunch Meat for $1.50 each. Great deal. I used Raspberry Jam, but any could be substituted. The original recipe called for apricot. Strawberry would be yummy. I'm not a huge fan of grape, so I'm not going to recommend that one :) This is a great change-up for a Sunday morning breakfast. Oh, and look at the original recipe for a slightly different version made in a panini press. I didn't feel like getting mine out this morning, and I also like the egg around the original one. Hope you like it!
1 tablespoon raspberry jam
2 frozen multi-grain waffles (I used regular, they were on sale)
1 slice ham
1 slice turkey breast
1 slice Swiss cheese (or mozzarella or Monterrey jack)
1 egg + a splash of milk (would be enough to make 2)
1 teaspoon butter
powdered sugar, optional
maple syrup, optional
Lightly toast waffles in a toaster. Spread each side with the jam and sandwich the ham, turkey and cheese between both slices.
Lightly scramble the egg and milk together in a shallow bowl. Coat the whole sandwich with the egg mixture (just like you would for french toast). Cook in a small skillet over medium heat in 1 teaspoon butter (you could also just use a good spray of Pam). Cook for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cheese is melted.
Cut into squares and drizzle with powdered sugar and maple syrup.
Check out the recipe link at the bottom. In the comments, somebody grilled theirs on the panini press and then dunked them in maple syrup! Yummy!
Enjoy!
(adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine)
Salad is something that I do not eat enough of. My excuse is that my husband doesn't like it, and so there's no need to make it just for me! I do love salad with cranberries and pecans, though, so this salad sounded great. Publix has their bagged salad on sale 2/$4 this week and I've picked up most of the other ingredients on sale the last few weeks. I had to go get the apple today. I know what you're thinking...mayonnaise and maple syrup...together? Neither one of the flavors stand out above the others. The combination is wonderful, even better than I expected. This is one where I'm not sure how "Aunt Jemima" would do as a substitution. I believe in splurging on the real maple syrup. I use it a lot and there is just no comparison. The bottle at Walmart costs around $6.78 (gulp, I know) and Sam's has a large bottle for around $13 or so. This dressing reminded me of Tammy's Dressing that I made a couple of weeks ago which is my favorite. Definitely right up my alley! I assembled just my one salad. I didn't make a big bowl like I would if we had company over. This way, I can assemble a salad for lunch tomorrow and add the dressing right before I eat. Yummy!
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
2 tablespoons minced shallot (I omitted this)
2 tsp. sugar (I used 1 packet of Splenda)
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 pkg. salad greens
2 medium tart apples, thinly sliced (with a squeeze of lemon)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup pecan halves (I chopped mine)
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (I omitted this)
In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients; whisk in oil. Chill until serving.
In a salad bowl, combine the salad greens, apples, cranberries, pecans and onion. Just before serving, drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. I added a little bit of black pepper here. I think it really balances out the sweet dressing.
I built my own personal-sized salad as opposed to making the whole thing. I did make all of the dressing though, and plan to use it throughout the week. If you do make the entire thing, pour just enough dressing over the salad to coat it. It makes a lot and I think it would be too much even for 2 bags of salads.
Go ahead...try this combination. You'll be pleasantly surprised!
Enjoy!
(adapted from Taste of Home)
This recipe is reason enough to step into Wal-mart. In their bakery they have a loaf of blueberry cobbler bread ($2.88 in Fairhope). My sister-in-law, Shelley, had the wonderful idea to slice the bread and make it into french toast. YUM-O! I have tried it with the cinnamon swirl bread too, but this blueberry one is my favorite. You can cook one or two slices if you want, or slice the whole loaf into 10 slices and follow this recipe. If you have strawberries on hand, slice them and put on top with the maple syrup!
1 loaf Blueberry Cobbler Bread
5 eggs
5 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons sugar
butter
maple syrup
Slice the blueberry bread into 10 slices. Stack and set aside. Scramble the eggs in a shallow baking dish; mix in the milk and sugar. (If you're not making the whole loaf use 1 egg, 1 tablespoon milk, and 1 teaspoon sugar per 2 slices.) Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Put a pat of butter on the skillet. Dredge the slices in the egg mixture to coat. Let excess egg mixture drip off. Place slices on the skillet (mine fits 4 at a time). Dredge the other slices right before putting on the skillet. If you leave them in the egg mixture for any length of time they get too soggy and fall apart. Dredge as needed. Cook on each side about 2 minutes, or until golden. Serve with maple syrup.
Enjoy!
Thanks Shelley!
I bought some of the Aunt Jemima French Toast when it was on sale at Publix. Ella and I had some for breakfast one morning, and I wasn't impressed. But I had a fabulous idea to make it into a egg sandwich with bacon and maple syrup. Now, that was something that I could enjoy! So, it was born.
2 slices Aunt Jemima French Toast (toasted)
2 eggs
2 slices of bacon
maple syrup
cheese
Toast 2 slices of the Aunt Jemima French Toast in the toaster. Pull out and drizzle with maple syrup. Cook 2 slices of bacon. (I cook mine in the microwave).
Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Crack 2 eggs in the skillet and start to scramble with a spatula. When the eggs start to firm up, shape to the size of the bread. Flip like a pancake and cook the other side. Top with cheese.
Assemble sandwich with the egg and bacon. Top with the other slice of French Toast.
For a little something extra, sprinkle with powdered sugar and extra maple syrup!
Enjoy!
Get this ready for breakfast in the morning! Publix has Oscar Mayer bacon on sale 2/$6 and Bisquick Pancake Mix 2/$4. (Print a coupon for Bisquick HERE). We had my Dad over one Saturday morning and made this. All I can say is Yummy...
1 1/2 cups Bisquick
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup maple-flavored syrup
5 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease and flour (I used PAM) a 13 X 9 baking dish. In a medium bowl combine biscuit mix, half of the cheese, the eggs, milk, and the 1/4 cup syrup. Beat until nearly smooth. Spread in prepared baking pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center come out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and the bacon. Bake for 3 additional minutes. Cut into squares. Serve with additional maple syrup if desired. Makes 6 servings.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)
