Nagy's Naughty Nibbles: Baked Maple Bars

Baked Maple Bars

I used to love walking down to the doughnut shop every weekend with my dad and siblings. It was always a dilemma if I should go for the maple bar, the tiger tail (a maple bar with chocolate drizzle) or a cake doughnut with rainbow sprinkles. It even inspired me to learn how to tie my shoes when I was given the ultimatum to either tie my shoes myself or no doughnut shop! Now living in New Zealand, I can never seem to find a maple bar...anywhere! (I sound like a doughnut-NUT, but I really only have them maybe once or twice a year nowadays.) Being older, the idea of a baked maple bar that only slightly spackles my arteries rather than one that is deep fried and completely clogging my arteries is highly favourable. I originally found a recipe off www.food.com, but have made some alterations to make it minutely healthier and more natural.

Baked Bars

1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup butter
4 tablespoons granulated Sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup lukewarm water

2 (1/4 ounce) envelopes yeast
2 large eggs
5 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Maple Icing
1/3 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1/8 teaspoon salt

To make the bars:

In a saucepan, briefly scald the milk. Mix in the butter, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, and the salt. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.

In a small bowl, add the lukewarm water (don't kill the yeast!), remaining tablespoon of sugar, and the yeast. Let the yeast mixture sit for about 5 minutes until the yeast is activated and foamy.

Twiddle your thumbs for a bit if the milk is still too warm...it needs to be lukewarm or you will kill the yeast.

In a large bowl, add in 4 1/2 cups of flour and cinnamon and make a well in the middle. Add the yeast mixture and start to blend this into the flour with your hands. Add in the two eggs and work this into the flour and yeast mixture as well. Now gradually add in the milk mixture a bit at a time until all of it is incorporated.

Note: your dough will be very wet and sticky. Try not to add a lot of flour as this has a tendency to make the bars have a more dense bread-like texture. You still have another 1/2 cup of flour to add in and I try to use this while I'm kneading the dough so that it doesn't stick to the surface.

Knead for about 5 minutes or until you can see that you are starting to get nice stretchy and elastic gluten.

Spray another large bowl with non-stick spray, place dough in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let raise/prove for an hour or until double in size.

**Hot Tip**: If you heat your oven up to 75F/20C and then shut the oven off, you can pop the dough to sit and prove in your oven in the nicely warm environment. This is particularly useful if it's winter and your house is cold!

Gluten-y kneaded goodness...

All nicely proved....

Knock back the dough and then divide the dough in half. Divide each half of dough into six equal parts (as shown below). You could try to make these smaller, but I can't vouch for the cooking time!

Roll out each of the 12 portions into little logs and let prove for another 30min. While the bars are proving, preheat the oven to 425F/220C.(I had a little trouble keeping these guys in proper "bar" form. I know some people have tried rolling out the dough and doing it that way...If you want to, go nuts, but I like the rustic/misshapen form.)

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Let cool before you ice them...unless you can't wait...no big deal...you'll just have hot maple icing running down your arms--Delish!

For the icing:

In a little saucepan add the butter, brown sugar and milk. Bring to boil on medium heat and let simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes. (It's important to let it cool so that when you add the powdered sugar, the icing will thicken up!) Add the maple syrup, salt, and powdered sugar and blend well. Try not to do a nose dive into the pot.