Maple Blondies with Maple Icing

Maple Blondies with Maple Icing

I’ve never been much of a Blondies girl – there, I’ve said it. I love chocolate and it seems senseless to make brownies without chocolate. Well, that WAS my mindset until I baked these MAPLE blondies. As a Canadian, maple is queen and tops even chocolate in baked goods, in my humble opinion. I then took this dessert over the top by adding MAPLE icing which gets a bit crackly when it cools and is fabulous – maple2 if you will.

This recipe comes together very easily and I used THIS RECIPE for the Blondies that I found on Pinterest (are we friends there yet?) and created a quick maple icing that I drizzled on while the Blondies were still warm. I’ve frosted cookies with this icing in the past, but on MAPLE Blondies, it’s amazing.

In terms of baking time for the Blondies, less is more. It indicates to bake 30-35 minutes in the recipe, and I went 32 minutes and next time, I’d go 29-30 minutes to get an even chewier texture. I know my oven runs a bit hot too, so test with a toothpick after 29-30 to see how you’re doing with doneness.

Blondies right out of the oven
Making the icing
The finished icing – smells incredible!

Blondies Recipe

Maple Icing Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, ideally from Quebec!
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • ¼ tsp. sea salt

Maple Icing Directions:

  1. Allow Blondies to cool for 10 minutes while making the icing.
  2. Over medium-low heat in a small saucepan, melt the butter, add the maple syrup, and stir to combine. Turn the heat off.
  3. Add the powdered sugar and the salt and stir until fully incorporated with no lumps remaining.
  4. Drizzle over the blondies (I placed the hot icing in a zip top bag and cut a small corner and used the bag as a pastry bag – this is optional!) and allow to set for 15 minutes.

Yields 12 Blondies.

Maple Sucre a la Crème

Maple Sucre a la Crème

This recipe is from my mom, Diane.  It adds a unique twist of maple syrup to a Québec favorite:  sucre à la crème, what I’ll translate to brown sugar squares.  This is a decadent treat that your loved ones are certain to enjoy.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups maple syrup
  • 3 tsp. butter
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts, optional

Directions:

  1. Bring the syrup and butter to a simmer over medium heat in a heavy-bottom saucepan.  Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
  2. Carefully add the cream to the hot mixture (wearing an oven mitt to avoid possible splattering burns when adding the cream to the hot liquid is recommended).  Cook until the mixture reaches 245 degrees on a candy thermometer.
  3. Remove from the heat and add the nuts (if using).  Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
  4. Using a stand or hand mixer, beat mixture for 10 minutes.
  5. Pour the beaten mixture in a buttered 8×8 pan and allow to cool completely before covering with foil and refrigerating.  Cut into 2” squares.

Makes 16 squares.

 

Maple Syrup Pie

Maple Syrup Pie

Not many dishes exemplify true Canadian goodness like the Maple Syrup Pie, known as Tarte Au Sirop D’Erable in French.  Served around the holidays, or for special occasions, this simple-to-make pie is both beautiful and delicious. My Grand-Mother probably would not approve of this microwaveable version, but those of us who have a limited amount of time to bake will be thankful. 

Tarte au Sirop D'Erable

Pie Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 cups pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 1/4 cups whole milk
  • 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
  • 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1  9-inch Press-In Shortbread Pie Crust, baked

Pie Directions:

  1. Place all pie ingredients, except for the crust, in a large, microwaveable bowl. Whisk well to incorporate all the ingredients. Note that there will initially be lumps due to the butter.
  2. Microwave on high for 9 minutes, whisking every 2 minutes to smooth out the mixture.
  3. Pour mixture into the baked pie crust and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

 

Serves 8-10.

Notes:  Pie can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 4 days.  If doubled or tripled, the pies can easily be frozen wrapped in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil.