I’m sure I’ve mentioned my addiction to maple bars somewhere along the line in one of my stream-of-consciousness introductions to a recipe. But if not, let me state unequivocally – I LOVE MAPLE BARS. And have since 4^th grade when right across the street from our hilltop grade school in Bothell, Washington (can’t remember the real name of the school) was a small convenience store that sold among other things, maple bars. (I actually have no idea what other items were sold in the store because I was mainly interested in the maple bars. I do have a vague recollection that there were candy bars and ice cream bars available too. But if there was anything else that didn’t resemble something sweet that a kid could put in their mouth, I’m not at all sure what that would be!) And if I recall correctly, the maple bars were a great whacking 5 cents. So, as often as I could, I availed myself of those scrumptious treats. And I have adored them ever since.

Now don’t get me wrong. I have literally gone years without a maple bar coming anywhere near my mouth. But as I’ve gotten to the stage of life when my remaining years are far less than the exceedingly large number of years I’ve already experienced, I’ve come to the conclusion that denying myself the pleasure of a maple bar now and then is ridiculous. Thus, my decision to learn to build my own maple bars in the privacy of my own kitchen!

The first thing I wanted to perfect was the dough for a fabulous donut like base for the frosting. And then of course, figure out how to make the maple frosting just like it’s made in bakeries. And believe me, I’ve tried making maple frosting several times throughout the years. And although the previous tries were OK, they were not what my 9-year-old mouth remembered. Until today, that is!  

And truly I don’t remember where I originally found the bones for the frosting recipe. But I messed with the original recipe a bit, and by golly, the kid buried deep within me, was doing cartwheels right in our living room after the first bite. OK, mental cartwheels, but if I were still 9 years old, it would be the real thing!

So, if you too or someone you love has a maple bar addiction, let me introduce you to this quick and easy recipe. The dough is baked not deep fried, so there is a bit of redemption in that regard. However, the frosting is sinfully sweet and has absolutely no healthy redeeming qualities. It is just pure heaven. And definitely should be classified as a guilty pleasure.

Well, that’s it for today. It’s still off and on drizzling outside so I can’t work off any of the calories I took in while savoring today’s maple bar. But hopefully tomorrow I will be able to do more hacking and slashing of shrubs that have become an impediment to anyone wanting to get to our front door or onto our deck. Mainly because my plan is to have another maple bar tomorrow morning along with my over easy egg.

And as always, peace and love to all.  

¾ c. whole milk

3 T. unsalted butter

2 T. granulated sugar  

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 T. warm water  

1 pkg. or 1 scant T. instant dry yeast  

1 lg. egg

2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as required

Scald the milk in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add the butter, granulated sugar, and salt. Stir together and cool to just slightly warm.

In the bowl of your stand mixer add the yeast to the warm water. Add the cooled milk mixture and the egg. Stir together using the dough hook.

Add the flour and knead until the dough is soft and elastic. (You will probably need a good bit more flour. You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl, but still leave a bit stuck to the very bottom of the mixing bowl. The dough will be soft to the touch but not at all tacky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.

Punch down and pat out into a 1″ thick square on a floured surface.

Cut into 8-10 rectangles and let rise again covered for about 30 minutes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake in a pre-heated 425-degree oven for 7-8 minutes or until light golden brown. Do not overbake.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before spreading with the Maple Frosting. Then cool the frosted bars completely before eating or storing in your fridge or freezer.

Please note: I start making the frosting as soon as the bars are out of the oven. If you prepare the frosting too far ahead of time, it will be too hard to spread nicely and evenly on the cooling bars.

MAPLE FROSTING

¼ c. unsalted butter

½ c. brown sugar, packed

3 T. whole milk

1 T. corn syrup

2 tsp. good maple extract

2 c.  powdered sugar

In a small saucepan, melt the butter, then whisk in the brown sugar. When the brown sugar starts to dissolve whisk in the milk and simmer for about 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring continuously until the brown sugar is completely dissolved.

Remove from heat and whisk in the corn syrup and maple extract. Then whisk in the powdered sugar until the frosting is smooth and free of powdered sugar lumps.

Using a large spoon, ladle frosting onto each warm bar.

Warning: Work quickly or the frosting will start to set up before you get to the last bar. (Take my word for this!)

Please note: This makes a lot of frosting. You may not need all of it. If so, refrigerate the remaining frosting and see what kind of inventive use you can come up with for the rest.  

You need really ripe bananas. Black spots and streaks are our friend!

OK, the first thing you should know is that I have a strong aversion to bananas. You couldn’t get me to eat a plain banana even for the cost of a round trip ticket to Witchita. (Like I would want to go there anyway!) (But, that’s not the point.) But, for some unknown reason, I love banana bread. (I know. It makes no sense at all.)

So, when I decided that what I needed was a recipe for a banana bread that was a bit healthier than my other two delightful recipes already on this site, I went on line for inspiration. And I found this great recipe on one of my favorite sites – cookieandkate.com. Of course I messed with a couple of the ingredient amounts and added chopped walnuts and a sprinkling of coarse sugar on top to add a little bit of crunch to the bread. Because, who doesn’t like crunch? But the bones of this recipe are all on Kate.

And by golly, this recipe makes for one darn good banana bread. And it’s healthier for us than my other two recipes, so I feel less guilty eating it. And serving it to Mr. C.

And this super moist bread is very easy to make. Doesn’t even require a mixer. Just the use of a whisk and a tiny bit of elbow grease.

So, if you too would appreciate experiencing a little less guilt when biting into a tender and delicious quick bread, then this is the recipe for you.

Well there’s a cloud covering over our part of western Washington today, but it’s not raining. We did have a bit of rain the last couple of days, but not enough to dampen our spirts. Just enough to give the plants and trees in our yard a nice soft watering. Of course with the clouds we can’t see the mountains. But they’ll come back and bless us with their beauty when the clouds decide to visit another part of the world.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that there are things that we can count on to make our lives more pleasant. Like mountain sightings, and noisy creeks, and sandy beaches. And tree blossoms in the spring, and fresh veggies and fruits available to us year-round in our local grocery stores.

Because of all the treasures that are a part of my daily life, I try very hard not to take anything for granted. Instead I endeavor to remain thankful for all the wonderful blessings I receive on a daily basis. I am so very, very lucky. As I hope you are too.

Peace and love to all.  

¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil  

⅓ c. maple syrup

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

4 lg. eggs

slightly rounded cup of mashed ripe bananas (2 lg. bananas)  

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. fine sea salt

2½ c. almond flour

¾ c. chopped walnuts

2 tsp. coarse sugar, for sprinkling on top

Lightly spray 1 (9×5-inch) non-stick loaf pan or 2 (7½ x 3½-inch) non-stick loaf pans with cooking spray. Then cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of pan or pans. Lightly coat the parchment paper with cooking spray. Set pan or pans aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil, maple syrup, and vanilla together until well blended. Add the eggs and whisk until the mixture is thoroughly combined.

Add the mashed bananas, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine.

Add the almond flour and stir just until the batter is well blended. Stir in the chopped walnuts. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan or pans. Evenly sprinkle the coarse sugar over the top of the dough.

Bake in a pre-heated 325-degree oven for 55 to 65 minutes (single loaf) or 45-50 minutes for 2 pans. Or until the center of the loaf springs back when touched with your fingers and the internal temperature reads between 200 to 205-degrees.   

Remove from oven and place the pan or pans on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. (This bread is delicate while still warm.)

Use a butter knife or offset spatula if necessary to loosen the edges of the bread from the pan, then carefully turn out onto your wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Warm slightly before serving.