Tag Archives: maple

April 24, 2013 · 5:00 am

Almond Pulp Breakfast Bars

almond pulp breakfast bars // pale yellow

When you start making your own almond milk you’re left with a lot of leftover almond milk.  Almonds are kind of expensive so it seemed kind of wasteful to just throw it away.  Luckily I was able to find a recipe, and then severely doctor it, to use up the almond pulp.

almond pulp breakfast bars // pale yellow

I tend to be a creature of habit, eating the same thing everyday for breakfast and lunch.  It makes my life so much simpler when I don’t have to plan or think creatively for these meals.  There was a long phase of eating a banana and fiber one bar every morning for breakfast.  When I went vegan I cut out the fiber one bars and switched to a handful of almonds.  Although almonds are delicious, they can be a little dry in the mornings.

almond pulp breakfast bars // pale yellow

The idea of a breakfast bar still appealed to me so I decided to make my own.  There are a lot of recipes out there for breakfast bars, protein bars, and homemade granola bars, but none of them seemed to have what I am looking for.  These are not perfect, but they were flavorful and had much of what I was looking for in a breakfast bar.

almond pulp breakfast bars // pale yellow

Next time I would pump up the coconut and chocolate chips.  I would also leave out the dried cranberries.  Although I normally enjoy dried cranberries, their chewiness was weird in these bars.  I really enjoyed eating these bars and look forward to making them again with all that almond pulp!  This is a great, chewy bar for breakfast or snack time.

almond pulp breakfast bars // pale yellow

One Year Ago – Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Chai Buttercream

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Almond Pulp Breakfast Bars

Adapted from Edible Perspective

Yield – 8 (1 1/2 x 6 inch)

1 cup loosely packed almond pulp

1/2 cup mashed banana, very mashed

6 tablespoons peanut butter, natural

1/4 cup ground flax seed

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 tablespoon maple syrup, grade B

pinch of salt

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1/4 cup cinnamon chips

1/4 dried cranberries

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Mash together the almond pulp, banana, peanut butter, and flax until you have a loose ball of dough.  Mix in the vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup, and salt.  Again mix well.

  3. Add in the coconut, chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, and dried cranberries.  Feel free to substitute any nuts, seeds, fruits, or mix ins.  The total should be about 1 cup.  Mix together

  4. Press each dough on a baking sheet as thin as you can into a 12×6 inch rectangle.

  5. Bake for 20 minutes and then cut into 8 pieces.  Bake for another 20-30 minutes or until the bars are browned and crispy.

  6. Wrap in parchment paper and enjoy for breakfast!

almond pulp breakfast bars // pale yellow

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February 21, 2013 · 5:00 am

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Pumpkin Oatmeal // Pale Yellow

Who wants to eat pumpkin pie for breakfast?  Healthy, vegan pumpkin pie.  I know I do.  Hands down, pumpkin pie is my favorite food.  The creaminess of the pumpkin, the flavor from the spices, and the crunch from the crust combine to form the best thing I eat every year.  Yet for some reason I only ever eat pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, maybe that’s why pumpkin pie always tastes so magical.

Pumpkin Oatmeal // Pale Yellow

This idea was dreamed up after thinking about how to make oatmeal more interesting.  I enjoy the flavor and texture of oatmeal, it’s just really tedious to eat some mornings.  And by some mornings I obviously only mean weekend mornings, I never have time for hot breakfast on a weekday.  I have added cinnamon, brown sugar, and fresh apples to oatmeal before, so why not combine something tedious with my favorite ingredient – pumpkin.

Pumpkin Oatmeal // Pale Yellow

I made this oatmeal twice in one weekend.  Once on Saturday as an experiment and again on Sunday to enjoy, savour, and photograph for blogging purposes.  I rarely make the same recipes on this blog twice in one year, yet this recipe was made twice in two days.  That. good.

Pumpkin Oatmeal // Pale Yellow

The ingredient list looks long, but you can always substitute all of the spices for pumpkin pie spice (1/4-1/2 teaspoon) if you have that on hand.  Spice to your liking, my spice ratio yields a strong flavored oatmeal.  The coconut milk can definitely be replaced by any type of milk, but I would definitely use milk; it provides so much richness and creaminess to the oatmeal.  I promise, for a treat so tasty, this comes together super fast, promise.

Pumpkin Oatmeal // Pale Yellow

I still have some pumpkin in the fridge, I think it’s time to whip up another batch this weekend…

Pumpkin Oatmeal // Pale Yellow

One Year Ago – Chocolate Cupcakes with Swirled Vanilla Frosting

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Pumpkin Oatmeal
Yield – 1 serving (multiply as needed)

1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup water
1/2 vanilla coconut milk
3 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
scant 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
scant 1/8 teaspoon cloves
scant 1/8 teaspoon allspice

  1. Add all the ingredients to small saucepan and place over low heat.  Stir to combine.
  2. Continue to cook for 12-15 minutes stirring frequently, especially at the end to make sure the oatmeal doesn’t stick.
  3. Cook until the liquid has been absorbed.  Eat immediately.Pumpkin Oatmeal // Pale Yellow

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July 11, 2012 · 5:00 am

Bacon Cupcakes – Take 3

Does a six-month-old blog need 3 bacon cupcake recipes?  Obvi, yes!!!!  The first bacon cupcake recipe was just an ice breaker, it showed me bacon cupcakes are totally the way to go!  The second bacon cupcake, Man Cupcakes, was a total expression of the awesomeness that is a bacon cupcake!  Despite the Man Cupcakes’ deliciousness, it had a lot of breakfast overtones and I wanted to dial down the cinnamon and up the bacon. This third bacon cupcake does just that!

Replacing the butter with bacon fat adds fantastic flavor that really raises the bar when it comes to the overall bacon-ness of the cupcake.  I worried the cupcake would be too fatty, but it wasn’t and the cupcake was still tender, light, and moist.  The bacon fat adds a rich saltiness!  If you’re looking for a less salty cupcake leave out the salt.

The frosting is so amazingly sweet and delicious!  There is just the right hint of maple without being too sweet or overwhelming.  The sweet frosting pairs really well with the saltier cupcake.  And of course, the candied bacon on top is the perfect decoration and accompaniment to this beauty!

These cupcakes were made by special request for Jackie.  She wanted to surprise her husband, Justin, for their first anniversary. Get it?  Paper cupcake liner because paper is traditional for first anniversaries, genius idea!  Justin is lucky to have such a wonderful wife!!  Justin views my cupcake photos on Facebook and has been asking me to try one. When he asked me again about bacon cupcakes the day before I was scheduled to make them I had to completely avoid looking at Jackie so I wouldn’t ruin the surprise!  It’s really fun to bake when you know the person receiving the baked goods is going to love them!!

Print the recipe.

Bacon Cupcakes
adapted from my standard vanilla cupcakes
Yield -18 cupcakes

6 pieces bacon, cooked extra crispy
1 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons cooled bacon fat (I had been saving this bacon fat in the fridge)
2 eggs
1/3 cup non-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
2/3 cup whole milk

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Saute the bacon on the stove top until it is extra crispy.  Let cool on paper towel.
  2. In the bowl of a mixer add the sugar, flour, powder, soda, and salt, mix slowly with the paddle attachment.  Add the bacon fat and beat for several minutes until the mixture becomes nice and crumbly.
  3. While the mixer is mixing, whisk together the sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla.  Pour this in the mixer and combine.  Scrape the mixing bowl as needed.
  4. Slowly add the milk in and turn on high for a few seconds.
  5. Crumble up the bacon and mix in.
  6. Use a standard ice cream scoop and place the batter into lined cupcake pans.
  7. Bake 14-17 minutes until a toothpick in a center cupcake comes out clean.  Cool on cooling rack.

Maple Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes, page 304

5 large egg whites
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup, grade B
pinch of salt
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

  1. Place the bowl of your stand mixer over a small pot filled with a little water to use as a double boiler.  Add the egg whites, sugar, maple syrup, and salt to the bowl.
  2. Heat and whisk the mixture until it is frothy and there is no grittiness between your fingers when you feel the mixture.
  3. Move the bowl to the mixer and beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form and the bowl in completely cool to the touch.
  4. With the mixer running, add in the butter one tablespoon at time.  The mixture may separate, but just keep beating and scrape down the bowl every now and again.
  5. Add the frosting to a piping bag with a large star tip and then top with a piece of candied bacon.

Candied Bacon
6 slices of bacon
6 tablespoons brown sugar

  1. Cover a toaster oven tray in foil.  Place the bacon strips on the foil.
  2. Spread 1 tablespoon of brown sugar over each slice of bacon.  Press into the bacon.
  3. Bake in the toaster oven for about 10 minutes.  Watch closely and rotate the pan as needed. Bake until the sugar turns dark brown and bubbly.
  4. Let the bacon cool slightly and then carefully move to a sheet of parchment paper to cool and harden.  Once cool, cut each slice into 3 pieces.

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July 6, 2012 · 5:00 am

Lemon Cornmeal Pancakes {Roommate Dinner}

I was born in raised in Michigan, I love myself some Jiffy mixes!  In fact, it’s one of the few mixes I’ll eat.  There is just something about those fake little blueberries that reminds me of home and my mom baking muffins when we were out of milk for cereal.  One of the mixes I love is the corn muffins, they make great pancakes!  These pancakes are really similar to the corn muffin pancakes of my youth, but jazzed up a bit.

Sometimes you just need to eat breakfast for dinner.  The morning comes way too soon and there are never enough hours in the day to start off with a nice hardy breakfast like pancakes.  So when I’m in the mood for a big breakfast, I make it for dinner.

These pancakes are nice and tasty.  The cornmeal has a little bit of grittiness and the lemon adds a nice flavor twist.  When eaten with some bacon, strawberries, and a bellini, you have yourself a delicious meal!

Menu

  1. Lemon Cornmeal Pancakes
  2. Bacon
  3. Strawberries
  4. Peach Bellinis

Print the Recipe.

Lemon Cornmeal Pancakes
Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod via Tasty Kitchen
Yield – 4-5 servings

3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons oil
1 lemon, zested
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
stick of butter to grease the gridle

  1. Preheat a cast iron skillet and wipe down.
  2. Beat together the eggs with a whisk and then add in the buttermilk, zest, and oil.  Mix well.
  3. Sift together the cornmeal, sugar, powder, soda, salt, and flour onto wax paper.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined.
  4. Grease down the skillet by rubbing the stick of butter on it.
  5. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto the skillet and cook until the top bubbles, flip and cook for 1 minute longer.
  6. Store in a warmed oven until serving.

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May 28, 2012 · 5:00 am

Man Cupcakes

“Made for a man, fit for a woman.”

You could also call these, “Cinnamon-Maple-Bacon Cupcakes with a Cinnamon-Maple Buttercream topped with candied bacon.”  Love it or leave it.

Clearly there are not a lot of men in my life.  I live with women, am friends with women, and I work with mostly women.  So when it’s time to make a cupcake for a dude, I want to go all out!  These cupcakes were made in honor of Rob’s birthday.

When I last made Bacon Cupcakes, it was definitely an experiment where I just threw bacon into a regular cupcake.  Not these babies!  These were well thought out and bacon was incorporated three ways; bacon fat inside the cupcake batter, crumbled bacon side, and candied bacon on top.  I really wanted to play off of the breakfast-ness of bacon, a breakfast cupcake if you will.

The cupcake is an adaptation of Martha Stewart’s snickerdoodle cupcake.  The cake itself is very moist and tender with excellent cinnamon flavor.  The bacon fat adds a subtle flavor and extra moisture.  Using a recipe from a regional cookbook is a little wonky and the buttercream was a bit troublesome, but came out well at the end.  It’s a sweet and delicious frosting that is perfectly creamy.  Candied bacon on top is A-mazing!  This is not just a garnish, this is a requirement.

Print the Recipe.

Man Cupcakes
(Cinnamon-Maple-Bacon Cupcake with a Cinnamon-Maple Buttercream and candied bacon on top)
Yield – 15

Cinnamon-Maple-Bacon Cupcakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes, page 151

8 slices of bacon, cooked crispy
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cake flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons cooled bacon fat
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons maple syrup, grade B
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons milk

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Cook 8 slices of bacon on the stove top, cook until extra crispy and then cool on paper towel.  Pour the bacon fat into a container and set aside.  (I put mine in the freezer to cool faster)
  3. Sift together the flours, powder, salt, and cinnamon onto wax paper, set aside.
  4. Cream together the butter, bacon fat, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.  Beat together until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs in one at a time and then beat in the vanilla and maple syrup.  Scrape down the bowl as needed.
  5. Turn the mixer on slow and add the flour in three additions with half the milk in between.  Mix until just combined.
  6. Crumble the cooked bacon and mix in by hand.
  7. Use a standard size ice cream scoop to place the batter in a lined cupcake tin.  Bake 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Candied Bacon
5 slices of bacon
5 tablespoons brown sugar

  1. Cover a toaster oven tray in foil.  Place the bacon strips on the foil.
  2. Spread 1 tablespoon of brown sugar over each slice of bacon.  Press into the bacon.
  3. Bake in the toaster oven for about 10 minutes.  Watch closely and rotate the pan as needed. Bake until the sugar turns dark brown and bubbly.
  4. Let the bacon cool slightly and then carefully move to a sheet of parchment paper to cool and harden.  Once cool, cut each slice into 3 pieces.

Maple-Cinnamon Buttercream
Adapted from The Official Vermont Maple Cookbook, 3rd Edition, page 24

Yield – barely enough for 15 cupcakes, (if you like a lot of frosting, I upped the recipe by 50% in parenthesis & in red – you could always use the extra frosting for pancakes!)
1 cup maple syrup, grade B (1 1/2)
2 egg whites (3)
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature (18 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (3/4)

  1. Place the maple syrup on a small pot on the stove.  Boil until it reaches 235 F.  It starts heating really fast and then goes slow at the end.  Do NOT stir, just leave it alone.  Meanwhile, add the egg whites to the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
  2. Once the maple syrup reaches 235 F, turn on the mixer and whip the egg whites until they have soft peaks and are no longer foamy.  This takes about 2-3 minutes.
  3. When the maple syrup reaches 242 F, turn the mixer on low and slowly drizzle in the maple syrup.  Beat on high until you have stiff peaks.
  4. Add in the butter one tablespoon at a time.  Keep beating to combine everything and the frosting becomes stiffer.

My frosting went really liquidy at this point and I freaked out, threw everything in the fridge, and then started beating again.  I was about ready to throw it all away and start again, but then everything came together.   Sometimes you just need to beat the s&!t out of the frosting.

  1. Add to a piping bag and frost the cupcakes.  Add the candied bacon on top.

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April 25, 2012 · 5:00 am

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Chai Buttercream

If you want some deliciousness in a bite, these are the cupcakes for you! I am usually not a fan of recipes that require you to go out and buy special or hard to find ingredients, but here is one.

Over Easter weekend I went with my roommates to Vermont with the primary focus of visiting the Ben & Jerry’s Factory. After the sugar high from the Mini-Vermonster faded, we needed a hit of sugar fast! So we went maple sugar tasting! There were many Elf-ish moments.

There is Grade A Fancy, Grade A, Grade A Amber, and Grade B. As you go down the list the maple syrup becomes darker and more flavorful. Maple syrup is not limited to just grades, there are many infused maple syrups like vanilla, cinnamon, pepper, and chai. I tasted many maple syrups and the chai is amazing!!!! You can get some here!

When I first tasted the chai maple syrup visions of cupcakes began dancing in my head, specifically pumpkin cupcakes! I love pumpkin, it’s one of my favorite foods! Usually pumpkin is more of a fall food, but who cares, maple syrup is made in the spring!

The pumpkin cupcake is moist and tender. As an extra bonus, this cake recipe is super easy, no mixer required!  Everything comes together in one bowl and mini cupcakes are best! The Swiss meringue buttercream on top is to die for!! I love Swiss meringue buttercream and it is much easier than it gets credit for. The frosting is incredibly smooth and creamy and it absorbs the chai maple syrup perfectly!

Print the Recipe.

Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Chai Buttercream
Yield – 28 mini cupcakes
Pumpkin cupcakes adapted from Martha Stewart
Maple Chai Swiss Meringue Buttercream adapted from my Bellini Cupcakes

Pumpkin Cupcakes
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 can (7.5 ounces) pumpkin purée

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and melt the butter in the microwave. Place the melted butter in the fridge to cool down.
  2. Sift together the flour, soda, powder, salt, and spice onto parchment paper.
  3. In a medium bowl whisk together the butter and the sugars. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Whisk in the pumpkin.
  4. Whisk in the dry ingredients until everything is well combined.
  5. Using a medium size scoop, scoop the batter into lined mini cupcake pans.
  6. Bake for 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the pan and let cool completely.

Maple Chai Swiss Meringue Buttercream
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons chai maple syrup
pumpkin pie spice

  1. Pour about an inch of water into a small saucepan and place the bowl from your stand mixer on top. Make sure the bottom of bowl is not touching the water.
  2. Add the egg whites, sugar, and salt to the bowl of the stand mixer on the double boiler. Heat and whisk until the mixture is frothy and there is no longer any grittiness.  About 6 minutes.
  3. Move the bowl to the stand mixer and use the whisk attachment. Whisk for 7-10 minutes until the outside of bowl is cool and the mixture has stiff peaks.
  4. With the machine running, add in butter one tablespoon at a time. Just keeping whisking until everything is well combined. Scrape the bowl as needed.
  5. Add in the maple syrup and beat until mixed.
  6. Use a rubber spatula to fold the frosting together and then scoop into a pastry bag with a 1M tip. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice.

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