Maple Bacon Crack

Ingredients
1 lb. bacon
1 pkg. Pillsbury crescent rolls
1/2 c pure maple syrup
3/4 c brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees°F.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet (like a 15×10) with foil and liberally grease the foil with cooking spray.
3. Unroll the crescent rolls into one single plane of dough and pinch any perforations together to seal.
4. Stretch the dough out to fit the size of the pan with your hands so it’s even.
5. Prick the dough with a fork all over. Set aside.
6. Meanwhile, cook your bacon till lighter in color and not quite crispy.
7. Drain the bacon on a paper towel-lined plate.
8. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the maple syrup over the crescent roll dough.
9. Sprinkle with about 1/4 cup of the brown sugar.
10. Top with torn pieces of the cooked bacon.
11. Drizzle the remaining maple syrup on top of the bacon pieces, and top with the remaining brown sugar.
12. Bake for approx. 25 minutes or until bubbling and caramelized.
13. Remove from the oven and allow the pan to come to room temperature.
14. Cool before cutting into pieces.

Recipe from Get In My Belly.

Apple Walnut Tart with Maple Custard

For the Walnut Crust:

2½ cups walnut pieces

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 egg white

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Custard:

1½ cups milk (I used 1%)

6 egg yolks

½ cup pure maple syrup

¼ cup cornstarch

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Additionally:

2 red apples, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced (keep in lemon water until ready to use)

juice of a lemon

Instructions

For the Walnut Crust:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a food processor or chopper, pulse the walnuts until the are finely chopped, and the pieces are about the size of breadcrumbs.

Place the chopped nuts in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients, tossing together with a fork.

Press the mixture evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.

Bake for 15 minutes.

For the Custard:

Pour the milk into a small pot and place over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edges.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the maple syrup, cornstarch, and salt.

Slowly pour the hot milk over the egg mixture, while whisking, to warm the eggs.

Place the mixture back into the pot and place over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a bubble and becomes very thick.

Stir in the vanilla and transfer to a heat safe container. Lay plastic wrap over the surface. Chill for 2 hours.

Assemble the Tart:

Spread the maple custard in the walnut tart shell.

Warm the apple slices in the lemon water in the microwave until pliable, about 2-3 minutes

Lay 6 apple slices end to end, then roll from one end to the other creating a rose. Stand up in custard. Continue making roses and place evenly over the custard. Chill until ready to serve.

Recipe adapted from Hip Foodie Mom

Pumpkin Apple Cake with Maple Pecan Bacon Topping

Ingredients

2 eggs

3/4 cup regular white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

4 cups apples, cored, peeled and diced

Maple Glaze

Pecan Bacon Crumble

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Make Pecan Bacon Crumble. Set aside. Keep oven temp at 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, using electric mixer, beat eggs, white sugar and brown sugar until light in color and creamy, about 4-5 minutes.

Add oil and vanilla extract and beat for 1-2 minutes more to blend in the ingredients. Add pumpkin puree and continue beating for 1 more minute to combine.

In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Do not over mix. Fold in the apples.

Spray the bundt pan with baking spray. Carefully pour the batter into the bundt pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 or 60 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for about 40 minutes. Invert the bundt pan onto the serving platter and let the cake to cool further.

Drizzle cool cake with Maple Glaze and Top with Pecan Bacon Crumble.

Maple Glaze: Whisk together 1 c confectioners' sugar, 1/4 c pure maple syrup, 1 T very soft butter, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, If too thick add more syrup; too thin, add more confectioner's sugar.

Pecan Bacon Crumble: Line a baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment. In a medium bowl beat 1 egg white. Add pinch of salt, 1/4 c pure maple syrup, 4 strips of crisp cooked bacon, chopped fine and 1/2 c toasted pecans, chopped. Spread out on prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and stir.  Mixture should be moist and sticky with no liquid. If liquid still remains, return to oven for another 5-10 minutes or until no liquid remains.  Stir and set aside to cool.

Recipe adapted from Julia's Album.

Cereal Encrusted French Toast w/Sauteed Bananas

Ingredients:

1 loaf Challah or Brioche, cut into 1" slices
4 large eggs
1/3 c whole milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 c crushed cereal flakes, any type (I used Barbara's High Fiber w/Cranberries)
12 T butter, divided
3 medium ripe bananas, sliced
1/2 c maple syrup
Powdered Sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 200*.
In a shallow bowl beat eggs with milk, vanilla & salt.  In another bowl add the crust cereal. Add 6 T butter to a cast iron or heavy duty skillet and melt over medium heat.  Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture then coat each side with the crushed cereal.  Place in skillet and cook on each side until a dark golden brown.  Remove from skillet and put in oven proof dish and keep warm in the oven while making the topping.

In a large skillet melt remaining 6 T butter and add sliced bananas.  Saute for 2 minutes then add the maple syrup.  Continue cooking until the bananas are softened.

Warm serving plates in microwave for 1-2 minutes.  Place french toast slices on each plate and spoon banana mixture over top.  Dust w/powdered sugar if desired and serve.





Bon Appetit!

Candied Bacon & Pecan Buttermilk Scones

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In a previous post I shared a recipe on how to make Slow Cooker Salted Caramel Apple & Pear Butter.  It made me think about what I could make that would compliment it perfectly.  I came up with this recipe, and they were great together.  These scones are so moist and tender and tasty.  You have the sweet 'n salty taste of the candied bacon and the nuttiness of toasted pecans all rolled into a rich, buttermilk dough.  Serve with the Slow Cooker Salted Caramel Apple & Pear butter or a favorite curd or jam.  Not overly sweet, so perfect on a chilly autumn morning.

Ingredients:

3 1/4 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 T granulated sugar
4 T cold unsalted butter, diced
4 T vegetable shortening
1 1/4 c buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
6 strips candied thick sliced bacon (recipe below)
1/2 c toasted pecans, chopped
1 egg, beaten with a tsp of water for an egg wash

Candied Bacon:
5 strips thick sliced bacon cut into thirds
1/2 c dark brown sugar
2 T pure maple syrup

Heat oven to 350*F.  Line a cookie sheet w foil and place a rack on top.  Place the cut bacon on the rack, set aside.
Mix brown sugar and maple syrup together.  Cover the bacon slices with the mixture.  I use my fingers and drop pieces on the bacon and smooth it out with the back of a spoon.  Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until crisp.  Cool completely, then dice with a sharp knife. Set aside. Try not to eat too much of it while you are preparing the scone batter! ;)

Place flour, baking soda & granulated sugar in a large bowl and whisk to get any lumps out.  Add butter and shortening and with your fingers, work the mixture until the butter and shortening and pea size.  Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk all at once along with the vanilla.  Combine just until blended.  Toss in the diced bacon and pecan pieces.

Prepare the scone batter:
Cover a large cookie sheet w parchment paper, set aside.
On a lightly floured surface pat the dough out to about 1 1/2" thickness.  Using a floured biscuit cutter; one with a fluted edge will look nicer, cut out the scones and place them on the prepared cookie sheet.  It is okay if they touch.  With a pastry brush, brush the egg was all over the scones.  This will give them a nice browned color as they bake.
Bake approximately 12 minutes or until golden brown, but still tender to the touch.

Brilliant!  Absolutely Brilliant!

Spiced Cakelets with Maple Buttercream

Ingredients:

1/3 c butter, softened
2/3 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 c flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c sour cream
brown food coloring
orange food coloring
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted

NordicWare Harvest Pan

Heat oven to 350*F. Grease and flour pan; set aside. In medium bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs. Add flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt; blend on low speed 1 minute. Add sour cream and mix on medium speed until well blended. Divide batter into 4 equal parts. Divide first portion of batter among walnut-shaped well in pan. To second portion of batter, add 1 or 2 drops of brown food coloring; mix well. Divide this portion of batter among acorn-shaped wells. To third portion of batter, add 1 or 2 drops of orange food coloring; mix well. Divide this portion of batter among pumpkin-shaped wells. To last portion of batter, add melted bittersweet chocolate; mix well. Divide batter among pine cone-shaped wells. Bake for 10-15 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Invert pan onto cooling rack and cool completely. If desired, shapes can be sandwiched together or acorn tops can be dipped in milted chocolate and rolled in finely chopped nuts.  Makes 24 cakelets.

**This recipe can be found on the inside of the label for the Nordic Ware Harvest Pan.

Maple Butter Cream

6 T butter, room temperature
3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 c sifted confectioners' sugar
1 T pure maple flavoring
1-2 T milk

Beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Add sugar and maple flavoring.  Add milk little at a time until desired consistency.

Whoopie!

Autumn Campfire Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Maple Butter Cream

I've been contemplating a recipe using a secret ingredient for the last 2-3 years now, and today I made it a reality.  I call this my Autumn Campfire Cupcake.  Let me first say that I will not be sharing the recipe for this outrageous creation now.  I have other plans for it first.  But what I will share with you is how awesome the combo of sweet and salty work in this cupcake.

I'm going to torture you with teases.  Firstly, the cupcake is comprised of very warm flavors with an ingredient that you might find very surprising; 2 ingredients actually.  I removed a hole from the center of each and stuffed it with a wonderful rich and nutty filling, topped it with a vanilla bean maple butter cream, a drizzle of maple sugar and a pinch of crispy thick bacon crumbles.

When you bite into this cupcake, you can the almost smell the campfire burning and imagine the flames reaching higher and higher.  The flavor is very complex as there are many things going on here.  But they all work very well together.  Believe me, your taste buds will be forever thankful.

So, you heard it here first.  If you come across an Autumn Campfire Cupcakes recipe in your internet travels, unless it's linked to me, it's an impostor.

Now who's got a really scary story to share?

Put another log on the fire and pass me a cupcake!