salted maple donuts

 

hello fellow maple lovers! i am back with a double the maple syrup donut recipe that is perfect for autumn. it is a baked donut which means it is super simple to make. as someone who recently made apple fritters at home, i cannot begin to explain how much more i enjoy making baked donuts. minimal mess, no oil splatter (or in my case oil spills) & a perfectly shaped donut every single time!

this recipe features cosman & webb's rich amber organic maple syrup & organic maple sugar. it is my go to maple syrup that is so rich in flavour & owned by the loviest family. i could (ok, i have) drink this maple syrup on its own because it is so good. this recipe features a cake style base & a maple glaze that reminds me of maple butter. to offset the sweetness i like to decorate the tops with a pinch of flaked salt, but if you prefer colourful or seasonal sprinkles with your donuts go for it.

so if pumpkin spice isn't your jam this time of the year, i think these cozy donuts will hit the spot! xo

ingredients

for the donuts:

  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cosman & webb maple sugar (sub: equal parts granulated sugar)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup cosman & webb pure maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the glaze:

  • 3 tablespoons cosman & webb pure maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • smoked flaked salt, to sprinkle

directions

for the donuts

  • preheat oven to 350(f) degrees. lightly grease a non-stick donut pan.
  • in a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder & salt.
  • in a separate large mixing bowl whisk together the milk, eggs, maple syrup, butter & vanilla until well combined, about 2 minutes.
  • add the dry ingredients & mix until batter comes together.
  • transfer batter to a piping bag (optional) & fill the donut molds until 3/4 of the way full. tap tray on counter to release any air bubbles.
  • bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the top bounces back to touch. let cool slightly before removing from pan. repeat until no more batter remains.

for the glaze

  • in a medium mixing bowl whisk together maple syrup, butter, sugar, vanilla & milk until smooth. if glaze appears thin add a touch of powdered sugar & if glaze appears thick add a splash of milk.
  • dip the top of each donut into the glaze & transfer to a lined baking sheet.
  • sprinkle with flaked salt & enjoy!

maple cupcake bites

 

happy weekend! let's kick it off with some cupcakes, eh? i call these a 'cupcake bite' because they are more like a cross between a cupcake and a two bite blondie. a little denser & more buttery then a traditional cupcake, but still loaded with buttercream! i topped it off with red & white (ok, as red as i could get the frosting without being too pink) frosting complete with a red polka dot flag. how celebratory is that for #canada150? i originally wanted to make the flags in the shape of maple leafs, but everytime i try to cut out or draw a maple leaf shape it never goes over well. lastly, i made these guys in a vitamix! that's right. it was so easy to whip (er blend) up! you basically just toss all the ingredients into the blender & voila a cupcake batter. stay cool this weekend friends! it is FINALLY supposed to be a hot one.

ingredients

(makes two dozen cupcake bites)

for the cake

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup whole milk

for the frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups icing sugar, or to taste
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • red food colouring
  • red sprinkles

directions

for the cake

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • in the vitamix (or a stand mixer) add the butter & sugar. blend until mixture is light & fluffy.
  • add in the maple syrup, eggs & vanilla extract. blend until well incorporated.
  • sift in the flour, baking powder & salt. pulse mixture while slowly incorporating the milk.
  • once the mix is fully added, blend for an additional 60 seconds.
  • divide batter evenly between 24 greased cupcake tins.
  • bake for 15 minutes, or until the cupcakes bounce back to touch.
  • let cupcakes cool while you prepare the frosting.

for the frosting

  • beat butter, icing sugar, maple syrup & vanilla extract until fluffy. about 5-8 minutes.
  • divide frosting between two bowls. leave one white & add the red food colouring to the other until desired red colour is reached.
  • add frosting to a piping bag one scoop at a time, alternating between each colour until full.
  • pipe cupcakes as desired. sprinkle with red sprinkles & top with a handmade flag!

bacon & maple roasted chicken

 

can you tell what is different about today's photography?! hint: THE KITCHEN. yes! this was my first shoot in my brand new kitchen & what a better way to break it in than creating a chicken recipe from eva kosmas flores' new cookbook adventures in chicken which is released in stores TODAY! she is the amazing author & photographer behind one of my favourite food blogs adventures in cooking. everything she makes is a perfect mix of elegant & rustic. to anyone who knows me personally, they know i am obsessed with chicken. i eat it literally every single day (seriously though, every single day) so i am quite excited to have 150 recipes dedicated to my favourite food.

this roasted bacon & maple chicken stood out to me most because it has all the flavours i love. i wish you could smell how good the kitchen smelled when it was in the oven roasting. they should make a bacon maple rosemary chicken candle scent:) i used this beautiful copper & gold handled roasting pan from mauviel usa which i filled with potatoes tossed in olive oil & garlic. all those sweet drippings from the chicken made for the best flavoured potatoes. i will be sharing the recipe for these maple potatoes on my NOM channel next week too because they were that good! back to painting i go for now... i have two more rooms & the hallway left before the wallpaper gets hung! you will see more of the kitchen very very soon. xo

ingredients

for the maple marinade and chicken

  • 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), innards removed

for the roast chicken

  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teapoons dried rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 4 strips thick cut bacon
  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups chicken stock (more or less depending on roasting pan)
  • 10 large springs of fresh rosemary

directions

for the maple marinade and chicken

  • in a large bowl whisk together the chicken stock, maple syrup, vinegar, salt & thyme.
  • add the whole chicken in a large zip lock bag & coat with marinade.
  • let sit in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.

for the roast chicken

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • remove chicken from marinade bag & place in desired roasting pan.
  • in a small bowl mix together the dry rub of maple sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, dried rosemary, & black pepper. spread generously over the chicken.
  • in a separate small mixing bowl add the maple syrup, 3/4 teaspoon salt, diced bacon, sweet onion & olive oil. toss over the chicken & into the roasting pan.
  • with the two left over strips of bacon, stuff them under the skin of the breast.
  • place rosemary in the bird cavity & arrange some in the roasting pan.
  • fill the roasting pan two inches high with the chicken stock.
  • tent tightly with foil & bake for 1 hour.
  • remove foil & cook for an additional 15-30 minutes.

for 150 more amazing chicken recipes, check out eva kosmas flores (of the blog adventures in cooking) first cookbook adventures in chicken which is released today! you can order it on amazon here.