Any Home Bakers Here?

[N F C]

What's everyone been baking lately?

I'm trying to find something to make with real maple syrup (other than using it on pancakes or French toast)...suggestions anyone?

 

[ronott1]

What's everyone been baking lately?

I'm trying to find something to make with real maple syrup (other than using it on pancakes or French toast)...suggestions anyone?

I have some:

Maple Pumpkin Pie 1

1 9 inch deep-dish or up to 11 inch but shallower regular pie crust

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pastry Maple Leaves for decoration
The maple in this recipe is very subtle; the seasoning, and heavy custard, pretty much overpowers it. If you want a more distinctly maple flavor, use one of the following two. You may also find that this is not sweet enough; to sweeten it more, incorporate up to 1/2 cup sugar with the eggs. All in all, this is pretty close to traditional pumpkin pie flavor, with a hint of maple.

Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Cooking Tips and Techniques
 I used chicken breasts for this soup, however you could sub 2 cups of shredded chicken if you’d like.
 I added 1/2 cup finely chopped kale for some extra nutrients. I added it very last so it didn’t get soggy and gross. I promise, you can’t even tell it is there! Oh Hi Kale!

 I adapted this recipe for the dumplings. I used whole wheat white flour, which does yield a courser dumpling. I advise using whole wheat flour MOST of the time, but if your family isn’t used to whole grains you might want to sub 1/2 all purpose. I loved the dumplings, they had a great flavor, and the longer they sat in the broth the better they were!
 The dumplings will get bigger after you drop them in your pot. Small dumplings = better dumplings because if you make them too big you will end up with a weird center.
Ingredients
 2 chicken breasts
 1 large onion
 1 cup carrots
 2-3 stalks celery
 1 stick salted butter
 1/2 cup flour I used whole wheat white flour
 4 cups milk I used whole milk
 2 cups chickenstock homemade or organic
 1/2 tsp pink himalayan or kosher salt
 freshly cracked black pepper to taste
 1/2 cup kale finely chopped
 1 cup flour for dumplings, I used whole wheat white flour
 2 tsp baking powder for dumplings
 1 tsp pure maple syrup for dumplings
 1/2 tsp kosher or pink himalyan salt for dumplings
 1 Tbsp cold butter for dumplings
 1/2 cup milk for dumplings
 1/8 tsp garlic powder for dumplings
 1/8 tsp paprika for dumplings
Instructions
1. For the soup: Dice carrots, onion, celery. Cut chicken breasts into small bits and toss them in 1/4 cup flour. Put carrots, onion, celery, and chicken into large pot with butter, and cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender. Add the additional 1/4 cup flour, stir into a paste. Slowly add milk 2 cups at a time, stirring continuously and allowing to thicken. Finally add chicken stock, and bring to a simmering boil.
2. For the dumplings: Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and spices together. Cut in tablespoon of butter until mixture is course. Add milk and syrup until mixture comes together and is able to be rolled into balls. You may need an additional 1-2 Tbsp of milk. Roll dumplings into balls, dropping into boiling soup as you roll. Reduce heat and cover for about 15 minutes.
3. To finish: finely chop kale, throw in pot, add additional salt and pepper to taste.

All Gone Granola

2 1/2 Cups Rolled Oats
1/2 cup Sliced Almonds
3/4 cup Pecan Pieces
1/4 cup Salted Sunflower Seeds
3/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Pure Maple Syrup (I have used the fake stuff like Mrs. Butterworths before but it's really not as good nor as good for you)
1/3 Cup Melted Coconut Oil
1/4 tsp. Almond Extract
1 TBSP. Vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 and line a baking sheet with parchment (or greased foil) Toss the first 6 ingredients together. In another bowl whisk the rest of the ingredients together then pour over the dry batch and toss to evenly coat. Bake for 45 minutes, giving it a stir half way through. It won't be crunchy when it comes out, let it cool completely then break it apart. If you can get it to last that long it generally stays fresh in an airtight container for a month!

I thought I had a picture of this yumminess, but I don't. You can have fun with this. Add different nuts or seeds, use different extracts, whatever! I used coconut extract and added flake coconut to it one time for a tropical version and it was YUM too! (I also added dried mango and pineapple AFTER it was cooked.)

Homemade Caramel, 14 Different Ways - The Nickel Pincher

It's butter, sugar and an hour or so of your time. What's not to love?!
By Jean Nick
Photograph By Thinkstock

December can be an excessively stressful time of year, whether you're rushing around finishing
up last-minute holiday shopping or just strung out from too much end-of-the-year work. So
reward yourself with a little sugar—and, possibly, whip up an easy homemade gift for that
person you forgot about.
You can make a batch of homemade caramels in an evening, and it's really simple. All you're
doing, really, is heating sugar of some sort and cream or butter until they caramelize and turn a
light golden brown. Use organic, grass-fed cream and local honey or maple syrup, and you'll
even get some omega-3s and healthy minerals. (Everything in moderation, of course. Hopefully,
it doesn't need to be said that using omega-3s as an excuse to down a plateful of caramels will do
nothing more than cause holiday weight gain!)
The fascinating part of making homemade caramel is that one single recipe can yield dozens of
different candies, all depending on when you stop cooking the mixture. The final temperature of
the syrup determines whether you wind up with caramel syrup, chewy candies, or a crispy brittle.

Basic Caramel Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream (full-fat coconut milk also works)
1 cup local honey, real maple syrup, or a combination of the two
½ teaspoon sea salt (optional)
1 Tablespoon espresso powder or cocoa powder, or 1 teaspoon vanilla or other extract (optional)
Candy thermometer
Directions:
Put cream in a small saucepan or microwavable glass measuring cup and set aside. Put your
honey or syrup, along with salt and flavoring if using, in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium
heat until the mixture starts to bubble, adjusting your heat so that the sugar doesn't foam up, and
cook, stirring frequently, until it reaches 250°F on your candy thermometer. This will take 10 to
15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the cream you've set aside at a low heat, either on your stove or in your
microwave, until it just starts to bubble around the edges; heating it before you add it to the sugar
prevents grainy caramel. Slowly pour the cream into the cooking sugar, stirring as you pour. This
will lower the temperature of your caramel, so continue to cook it slowly, stirring frequently, as
it thickens.
What happens now is up to you and what you want to make. Here are some ideas—a baker's
dozen (plus a few extra!).
#1: Caramel Syrup
Once your sugar-and-cream mixture reaches 230º to 235°F, you have caramel syrup. Take it off
the heat, let it cool slightly, and it is ready to use to dip apple slices into or pour over ice cream.
Store any extra in a closed container in the fridge for up to two weeks.
#2: Soft Caramel Candies
Continue cooking your mixture until it reaches 245°F. Pour the hot caramel into an oiled pan (an
8-inch-square cake pan is a good size to make a nice, thick layer) and allow it to cool
undisturbed at room temperature.
After about 24 hours, turn the caramel out onto a cutting board and cut it into pieces with a
sharp, clean knife (butter the knife if it sticks). Wrap the individual pieces in cellophane, wax
paper, or parchment paper to prevent them from sticking to each other and to whatever you have
them on or in.
#3: Soft Caramels with Nuts and More
Similar to making candies, but before you pour the 245º syrup into your pan, spread up to 2 cups
of nuts, raisins, or other dried or crystallized fruit (crystallized ginger bits—yum!) onto the pan
and pour the hot caramel over them, or just mix the add-ins into the hot caramel before pouring.
#4: Chocolate-Covered Soft Caramel Candies
Once your caramel has cooled and you've cut it into pieces, dip the candies in melted chocolate
and allowed the dipped confections to harden on a rack for a few hours before wrapping them up.
#5: Hard, Chewy Caramel Candies
If you like harder candies, continue cooking the sugar and cream until it reaches 250°F. Proceed
as for soft caramel candy, pouring the syrup into an oiled pan and then slicing into smaller pieces
once it's cooled. Or, let it cool for a few minutes and then drop it by spoonfuls onto a baking
sheet lined with parchment paper to make disk-shaped candies.
#6: Caramel Apples
Using the syrup you've just made for hard caramel candies, dip apples into the sauce—insert
Popsicle sticks or fat wooden skewers into them first—or spoon it over them. Set the coated
apples on a buttered pan or silicone sheet to cool. Eat ASAP or pop them in the fridge and eat
them within a few days because the apple inside is perishable and the caramel will start to
separate from the apple as moisture comes out of the fruit.
#7: Caramel Clusters
Heat the mixture to the same temperature you would for hard candies. Then mix in up to 2 cups
toasted chopped nuts, raisins, or other dried fruit and let it cool for a few minutes before
dropping by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet.
#8: Chocolate-Caramel Crunch
Mix in a cup of chocolate chips before dropping the caramel by spoonfuls onto your sheet. The
cooled candies are an interesting mixture of hard, almost crunchy, caramel layers with tiny
pockets of melted chocolate.
More From Rodale News: Make Your Own 'Instant' Cup of Noodles
#9: Toffee
Continue cooking your mixture until it reaches 270°F. Pour it out in a thin (no more than ¼-inch
thick) layer onto a rimmed baking sheet (lined with parchment paper) and allow to cool. When
it's cool, snap it into pieces.
#10: Chocolate-Nut Toffee
Proceed as for plain toffee then sprinkle ½ to 1 cup of semisweet chocolate bits over the hot
caramel, spreading it with a knife or spatula as needed to make a smooth layer. Top that with ¼
cup finely chopped nuts. Let it cool then snap into pieces. This is AWESOME stuff!
#11: Caramel Corn
Continue cooking your mixture until it reaches 290°F. Pop enough plain, organic popcorn so you
wind up with 12 cups, and put that in a large bowl with a cup of salted peanuts or other nuts, if
you'd like. (Here's how to make safer microwavable popcorn.) Pour the hot syrup over the
popcorn and stir gently until everything is well coated. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet, and
let cool. Store any extras in an airtight container.
#12: Popcorn Balls
Proceed as for caramel corn. Once mixed, allow the coated popcorn to cool in the bowl, just until
it is safe to touch. Slather some butter onto your hands, and shape the popcorn into balls then set
them on lined baking sheets to cool. You can also pack the warm mixture firmly into buttered
molds or cookie cutters, and carefully remove the mold before allowing the shape to cool and
harden.
#13: Butterscotch Drops
Continue cooking your mixture until it reaches 295°F, and you have hard caramel, aka
butterscotch. Drop little spoonfuls of the hot syrup onto a lined baking sheet and let them cool
and harden. If the syrup gets too thick while you're spooning it out, return the pan to the heat
briefly, stirring constantly.
#14: Nut Brittle
Proceed as for butterscotch drops, but stir in 1 to 2 cups of nuts or seeds before removing from
the heat. Then stir in ¼ teaspoon of baking soda (this last step creates brittle's airy texture,
making it much easier to bite through). Be aware the mixture will expand rapidly, so be careful.
Pour the syrup onto a lined baking sheet. Snap into pieces when cool.
Tips for Easy Cleanup
Caramel is really, really sticky stuff, and once it passes the syrup stage, it hardens and can be
virtually impossible to separate from pans or get off cooking utensils. So, oil your pans really
well or line them with parchment paper (helpful for lifting the cooled caramels out of pans with
sides) before you ever approach them with hot, sticky caramel syrup. Or use silicone baking pans
or sheet liners, which are naturally nonstick. Put all utensils and emptied saucepans into a sink of
hot water as soon as you no longer need them. Don't let them cool, and don't use cold water, or
else you'll wind up with solidified sugar coating your pans.

Apple Maple Jam

It's in the blue ball book under sweet spreads.

6 lbs chopped peeled & cored apples
6 cups sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 cup maple syrup

combine all ingredients. bring slowly to a boil. cook rapidly to gelling point. stir frequently. remove from heat, skim foam as needed. ladle into hot jars. leave 1/4 inch head space. add 2 piece caps. process 10 minutes in boiling water bath.






I made this one twice this fall, it's that good. I used a mixture of apple types for a more robust flavor. Make sure to use a large pot for this - it's a lot of bulk ingredients until it cooks down and it splatters like crazy as you're trying to get it to a boil. This one and the apple-cranberry jam burned me in a few spots on my hands from splatter. Must be the apples.

 

[missy1971]

I waiting for my Amish friendship bread to get ready to bake, I'll post the recipe if y'all are interested

 

[DigMyChicks]

What's everyone been baking lately?

I'm trying to find something to make with real maple syrup (other than using it on pancakes or French toast)...suggestions anyone?

Hi Debby! I just made these....

 

[DigMyChicks]

I waiting for my Amish friendship bread to get ready to bake, I'll post the recipe if y'all are interested

I love Amish bread! I've made the chocolate/chocolate chip version also and my boys love it.

 

[missy1971]

Quote: Ive never had it before, until my friend brought it to me, along with a bag of the starter dough...it was plain, with the brown sugar on it....OMG i loooove it ! which is probably bad since bread is my weakness

 

[DigMyChicks]

I haven't made it in a long time. I have always gotten starters from others. I should maybe start my own and get the ball rolling

 

[CuzChickens]

Mmm, those cinnamon buns look delish. Yum.

 

[henny1129]

@ronott1, those recipes seem amazing! I can't wait to try them!

@DigMyChicks, those cinnamon buns are making me soooo hungry!

 

[N F C]

@ronott1 thanks for all the maple recipes! My mom used to make the chewy caramels, I'd forgotten about those