Maple Syrup Butter Tarts

Sue and I seem to be on a Canadian recipe roll this week. I figure, why not make the best of it?

Today we are putting a twist on the already-Canadian butter tart by making it even more Canadian. 

How did we do that?

Maple syrup, of course!

I think you can pretty much Canadian-ize anything by adding maple syrup. It's true. 

You can see our usual Butter Tart recipe HERE. 

Maple Syrup Butter Tarts

(Slightly adapted from Canadian Living Magazine, July 2013)

Ingredients

1/3 recipe PIE CRUST

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 Tbsp white vinegar

pinch salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 425. 

Roll out pie crust to 1/4 inch or so thickness. Use a round cookie cutter or rim of glass drinking cup to cut out circles just a bit bigger than the rim of the cupcake tin.

Gently press the circle of pie crust into the cupcake tin. Repeat with remaining pie crust until  you have used up the crust. You can reroll the cut off bits once. (Any more than that  and it gets pretty tough.)

Evenly sprinkle the chopped pecans into the bottom of the crusts in the pans.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, eggs, vinegar, and salt until well combined. 

Carefully spoon mixture into each crust. (This makes approx a dozen large tarts or 2 dozen mini tarts.)

Bake at 425 for 5 minutes. Turn down heat to 350 and continue to bake until tart is browned and bubbling, about 15 - 20 minutes (for the large tarts).

Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes in pan.

Run a thin knife around the edge of each tart to release it from the pan. Let cool on wire rack. 

Want to know how to get invited to more BBQ's this Canada Day?

Bring these for the friends and family and they will be begging you to come back and bring more. 

That is...if you are willing to share. 

Don't forget to visit The Mandatory Mooch and Adorned From Above  and Easy Life for some fun and tasty links!

Baked Maple Bacon Donuts

I just wanted to say that Jo is not the only one who can make Canada Day goodies.

I found this recipe in the May 20th Women's World Magazine. I made a few teeny tiny changes and this turned out really yummy. 

Normally I would say baked donuts don't hold a candle to deep fried BUT these are pretty hard to beat. I made them in my mini donut pan and they are the cutest little treats that are perfect for Canada Day or... pretty much any day.

Bacon makes everything better!

Baked Maple Bacon Donuts

(Slightly adapted from Women's World Magazine, May 20th, 2013)

Ingredients

3 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup butter, melted

3 Tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp maple extract

Glaze

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 tsp maple extract

8 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled

Directions

Donuts: Preheat oven to 375. Lightly spray donut pan (or mini donut pan) with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.

In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, butter, maple syrup, and maple extract until foamy. 

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, stir until completely combined. 

Carefully fill donut pans about half full. 

Bake 8 - 10 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Remove from heat, let cool in pans 5 minutes before inverting onto wire racks to cool completely.

Glaze: Whisk together icing sugar, maple syrup, and maple extract. 

Dip donut tops into glaze; lift, allowing excess glaze to drip off. 

While glaze is still wet, sprinkle with crumbled bacon.

If you use real Canadian maple syrup then these are sooooooo good. 

I'm not really a sweet-treat kind of person...I'm more for the savory things...but, the bacon on these adds a lovely salty twist to these that even I love. 

Looking for something a little out of the ordinary to help celebrate Canada Day?

Definitely give these a try!

Be sure to visit Love Bakes Good Cakes and Memories By The Mile and Hun...What's For Dinner?  and Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons for some fantastic links!

Nanaimo Bar Rice Krispies

Canada Day will soon be here so Sue and I have been busy trying to come up with some decidedly Canadian treats and meals to celebrate. 

The first treat that comes to mind for me is a Nanaimo Bar. (You can see our recipe HERE) We created a Nanaimo Bar Cheesecake in the past - click HERE for that recipe - so we wanted to try and come up with something a little different, again using the Nanaimo Bar as our inspiration. 

If you have never had a Nanaimo Bar then you are missing out. It has to be one of my most favorite treats in the entire universe. 

For this version we have used Rice Krispies to crisp up the base a bit. The original will probably always be my favorite BUT this is a really tasty version with some great textures. 

Nanaimo Bar Rice Krispies

Ingredients

Crispy Layer

1/4 cup baking cocoa

4 cups Rice Krispies

1 cup coconut, shredded

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

4 Tbsp butter

1 140 gr bag (about 6 cups) mini marshmallows

2 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp chocolate chips

Bird's Eye layer

1/2 cup butter, room temp

3 Tbsp milk

2 (heaping) Tbsp Bird's Eye custard powder

2 cups icing sugar

Chocolate Layer

1/2 (heaping) cup chocolate chips

2 Tbsp butter

Directions

Line a 9 X 9 dish with parchment paper, spray with cooking spray, set aside.

Crispy Layer - In  a medium bowl, stir together cocoa, Rice Krispies, coconut, and graham crumbs. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, over medium/low heat, stir together butter, marshmallows, vanilla, and chocolate chips. Cook and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the Rice Krispie mixture until evenly coated. Press into prepared 9 X 9 pan.

Place in freezer to cool while you prepare Bird's Eye Layer. 

Bird's Eye Layer - In a medium bowl, beat together butter, milk, and custard powder. (If you can't find custard powder then you can use vanilla pudding mix. It will taste different but will still work.)

Slowly beat in the icing sugar until smooth. 

Spread over the bottom layer. 

Place in fridge for about 20 minutes to set.

After 20 minutes, prepare Chocolate Layer.

Chocolate Layer - Place chocolate chips and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring briskly in between, until chocolate is melted. Stir until smooth. 

Spread over middle layer.

Let chill until chocolate layer is set. Use parchment paper to remove bar from pan. Cut and serve.

Let me tell you one thing about this square. It is sweet. I know most people will not find this a big surprise but I always get a few comments about how sweet Nanaimo Bars are. 

So...yeah....

Be prepared - sugar coma territory ahead. 

That being said, I love these bars in any form - original, cheesecake, or Krispy. I hope you give one of the versions a try. To help celebrate Canada Day or...just to celebrate any day!

 

Be sure to visit Ms.enPlace and The Chicken Chick and Jam Hands and The Velvet Moon Baker for some fun links!

Tropical Preacher's Cake

Until very recently I had never heard of a Preacher's Cake. I was curious about the name so I did a little research. As far as I can tell, it got it's name because, back in the day, housewives needed an easy, quick cake to whip up when they heard the preacher would be coming to visit. 

This cake certainly is easy and quick.

You know what else it is?

Tasty.

Very tasty.

I decided to change it up a bit and add some banana and coconut and make it even more tropical. 

Tropical Preacher's Cake

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained

Topping

2 bananas, mashed

 2 cups whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 cup toasted coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9 X 13 pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt. Add in eggs, vanilla, pecans, and pineapple (and liquid in can). Stir until just combined. Spread into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 for 30 - 45 minutes - until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean and top is golden brown. Do not over bake.

Let cool on wire rack. 

When cooled, spread mashed banana evenly over top of cake.

Whip the whipping cream with vanilla and sugar until stiff peaks form. 

Spread evenly over banana layer.

Sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Chill until ready to serve.

I have to say, I actually enjoyed this a lot more the second day.

The flavors had time to mix together and the cake, which I over baked a teeny bit, did not seem as dry the next day.  

And, no, I didn't forget any ingredients in the recipe. There really is no oil and no extra liquid other than the pineapple juice in the can with the crushed pineapple. 

If you are looking for a super easy cake to make for company...or just for something new to feed the family...definitely give this cake a try. The pineapple, banana, and coconut are a great combination!

Plus...it's great if you are looking for something dessert-y but not too sweet. 

Pop over to The Mandatory Mooch and Easy Life and Or So She Says and Carole's Chatter to find some fabulous links!

Single Serving Butterscotch Pudding

You may or may not know this about me.

I’m pretty lazy when it comes to cooking and baking.

Oh sure…I get inspired every once in a while to create something that takes hours to make and is ridiculously complicated, but, generally, if I can make it in 2 seconds then it is usually my new favorite.

Take this Butterscotch pudding, for example.

From start to finish in under 5 minutes. Not even lying.

You make this in the microwave BUT, if you don’t like to cook in the microwave, then you can do this on the stove top as well – it will just take you longer.

Single Serving Butterscotch Pudding

Ingredients

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 1/2 tsp cornstarch

Pinch salt

1/2 cup milk

1 egg yolk (small)

1/2 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp butter ripple schnapps

Directions

In a microwavable bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt together with a small whisk or a fork. Add the milk and stir to blend. Microwave on high for 1 minute, whisk vigorously, then microwave 1 more minute. Whisk vigorously again.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolk. Whisk a tablespoon or two of the hot milk mixture into the yolk, then pour the yolk back into the larger container with the milk, whisking the whole time.

Microwave for 30 seconds, then whisk well.

Add in the butter, vanilla, and schnapps - stirring until the butter melts.

Microwave another 30 seconds. Stir.

Eat warm or cold.

Important tip – use a fairly large microwave bowl. I used a cereal bowl and it bubbled up and over and was a little bit messy. And, by little bit, I mean a lot.

Also, use a small egg yolk. I tried it with a large egg yolk and it left the pudding tasting egg-y. If you only have large eggs then I would suggest only using half the yolk.

Oh...and…you don’t have to add the Butter Ripple Schnapps. I find it adds a

lovely extra hint of flavor but it is entirely optional.

See…now you can be lazy AND enjoy wonderful homemade desserts.
**UPDATE** - See how we turned this into an even more decadent Milkshake. Click HERE to see our Butterscotch Mocha Brownie Milkshake. 

Pop over to Feeding Big and Love Bakes Good Cakes and Memories By The Mile  and Hun... What's For Dinner? and Adorned From Above for some great links!

Cinnamon Bun Cheesecake

I don't know if you have ever visited a blog called Culinary Concoctions By Peabody but you really should.

She has the most amazing recipes. I mean she combines things that you wouldn't think to combine and comes up with recipes that blow your mind.

And...just maybe...might stop your heart. But, death by cheesecake/cake/pie/cookies isn't necessarily a bad way to go.

Anyway...this creation is hers. I mean cheesecake + cinnamon buns = crazy good dessert. Genius, right?

Go check out HER BLOG. This isn't even the best thing on there.

Cinnamon Bun Cheesecake With Cream Cheese Frosting

(Ever so slightly adapted from Culinary Concoctions By Peabody)

Ingredients

Cinnamon Roll Batter

2/3 cup white sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 cup whole milk

1 Tbsp vanilla 

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

Cheesecake filling

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla 

2 Tbsp flour

3 eggs

Cinnamon Filling
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz cream cheese, softened

3 Tbsp butter, softened

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

milk (if needed to thin frosting)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch Springform pan. (I used 7 inch AND a 4 inch springform pans)
Cinnamon Roll Batter -- Using beaters, cream together the butter and sugar for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.Add egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat for another minute. Scrape down bowl. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine the sifted and creamed ingredients together. Mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. 
Spread half of the batter onto the bottom of the Springform pan. It will be sticky and thick so spray your hands with baking spray and press down. It will be a thin layer, but trust me it will rise up during baking.

For the Cheesecake Filling -- Using a stand mixer (and a clean bowl) fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar for 2 minutes on medium-high speed.

Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
Add the vanilla and flour and beat for another minute.
Pour all of the cheesecake batter on top of the cinnamon roll batter that is in the prepared pan.

Cinnamon Filling -- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined. Drop spoonfuls of the cinnamon filling over the entire top of the cheesecake. 

Take the rest of the base batter and drop spoonfuls over the entire top of cheesecake. Once finished, take a knife to swirl the ingredients together. This is hard to do as the batter is pretty thick, just do what you can. 

Bake for about 50-55 minutes, cake will be puffy and lightly browned. Let chill for 20 minutes at room temperature and then cover and move to fridge for 4 hours. Remove cake from pan and let it warm up to room temperature just a bit. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting -- Using a stand mixer (and a clean bowl) with paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together for 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and beat until desired consistency is reached. If too thick, thin out with milk. Drizzle or spread on top of room temp cheesecake. 

I made these for a birthday at the office. It was a big hit! Here is the birthday girl with her cheesecake:

If you like cinnamon, cheesecake, coffee cake, cream cheese....any combination of those things, then this is the treat for you. Reading the ingredients, I initially thought 3 Tbsp of cinnamon would be too much. NOPE. It's perfect.  Don't cut back on it. 

Be sure to visit Culinary Concoctions By Peabody and say hi. She is a super funny, super honest, super genius. (What? I'm not a stalker)

Be sure to visit Ms. enPlace and Or So She Says and The Velvet Moon Baker and Chef In Training for some fabulous links!