Bready or Not: Maple Pear Galette Redux
This Maple Pear Galette recipe is a must for any maple-lovers. I first featured it on Bready or Not in 2016, and it was high time to take new pictures and share the recipe anew!
This recipe laces maple sugar into every layer: the galette dough, the thick maple paste for the pears, and as a golden accent and perfect crunch for the top of the galette.
This is remarkably easy to make, too. The peeling and coring the pears is the biggest hassle. I like to make the dough a day ahead of time, which makes the assembly part go pretty fast.
I heavily modified this recipe from one found in this incredible cookbook called Maple by Katie Webster. [Affiliate link.] Seriously, if you love maple used in dishes for any meal of the day, get this cookbook! It looks like it’s now out of print, but used copies are available for decent prices.
Bready or Not: Maple Pear Galette
Equipment
- medium bowl
- large bowl
- Rolling Pin
- parchment paper
- baking sheet
- pastry brush
Ingredients
Galette
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon maple sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 stick
- 3 to 6 Tablespoons ice water
Interior
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup maple sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 ripe pears peeled, cored, and cut into wedges
Topping
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 Tablespoon maple sugar
Instructions
Make the galette.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, maple sugar, and salt. Add butter and work into dough so that the butter is down to pea-sized chunks. Add just enough water to incorporate as dough, smearing butter chunks in the process. Shape dough into a disk and shroud in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes, or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Place parchment paper on a large rimmed baking sheet.
Make the interior.
- In a large bowl, gently stir together the flour, maple sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice; it will form a thick paste. Gently stir in the pears to coat. Expect the mixture to become more liquid as it sits with the pears in it.
- Use some extra flour to lightly dust a large work surface. Roll out the dough to at least a foot diameter circle. Transfer it to the prepared parchment paper on baking sheet; the dough might hang over the edges for now, but that’s okay.
- Arrange the pears in a circular pattern in the center; leave a 2 1/2 to 3-inch border. Scrape the rest of the maple paste over the pears. Fold the dough inward, with the center still exposed. Brush the egg over the top and sprinkle on the remaining maple sugar.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling bubbles. Let cool before cutting.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: No-Bake Almond Granola Bars
These No-Bake Almond Granola Bars are fast to make and contain wholesome, basic ingredients. Plus, they are delicious.
I made this recipe several times to find the right balance of ingredients. Too many almonds and oats, and nothing sticks together. You think it’s solid until you try to cut the chilled bars. (I speak from experience.)
I find it fun to make little swaps with the ingredients, too. Use cashew butter or another kind of nut butter! Try different varieties of honey. You could even use pumpkin spice mix or other spices to give it a different vibe.
The end result will keep for a week or two in the fridge, and even longer in the freezer!
Bready or Not Original: No-Bake Almond Granola Bars
Equipment
- 9×9 pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray
- food processor
- waxed paper
- heavy glass
Ingredients
- 1 cups almonds or buy pre-chopped almonds
- 2 cups quick-cooking oats
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt reduce if using regular table salt or salted nut butter
- 1 1/2 cups creamy almond butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a 9×9 square pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
- If the almonds are whole, give them a rough chop in food processor, just a few pulses.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, and salt, and stir to blend. If the almond butter is stiff, measure it into a separate microwave-safe bowl and heat it for 20-30 seconds to soften it. Add almond butter, maple syrup or honey, and vanilla extract to the big bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir together until it forms a cohesive mass. If it seems too liquid, add more oats; if it’s too dry, add more almond butter. Stir in the chopped almonds to distribute them throughout.
- Dump the mixture into the prepared pan. Even out some, then use a pan-size piece of wax paper and a heavy glass to compress the dough evenly.
- Stash the pan in the fridge for at least an hour, or until the next day. Slice into bars of desired size. Store between stacked waxed paper layers in the fridge, or freeze for later enjoyment.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Quick Maple Cookie Fudge Redux
Let’s finish off the year 2022 by reviving a recipe first on Bready or Not in 2016: Maple Cookie Fudge!
This is a shortcut fudge without any need of a candy thermometer or stress. I like to use the microwave, but you can use the stovetop if you want. You can keep the maple cookies chunky, if you desire, or grind everything to crumbs–your choice! I actually like some small chunks mixed in for texture.
The maple flavor is nice and consistent here, not cloying, while the marshmallow fluff grants the texture some extra oomph. The nuts add an extra flavor and crunch, but you can omit them if you want.
This maple cookie fudge is just about perfect if you ignore the pesky nutritional side of things.
Bready or Not Original: Quick Maple Cookie Fudge
Equipment
- 9×13 pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray or butter
Ingredients
- 3 cups white chocolate chips
- 12.3 ounces maple crème cookies crushed/chopped/maimed, about 20 cookies
- 7 ounces marshmallow fluff
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon maple flavor
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts walnuts, pecans, macadamias, etc
Instructions
- Prepare a 9×13 pan by lining it with foil and applying nonstick spray.
- Either in microwave or on stovetop, carefully melt chocolate with sweetened condensed milk and marshmallow cream. If microwaving, do it in short bursts because it can burn fast! Stir often.
- When the mix is smooth, add the maple flavor and vanilla. Fold in the maple cookies and nuts. Pour fudge into the prepared pan. Use an uneven spatula to smooth out the top.
- Refrigerate at least 3 hours, until the fudge is firm. Cut into bite size pieces. Keep stored in fridge between layers of wax paper. Unlike some other quick fudges, this will keep well for hours at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Maple-Walnut Cookies
It’s been too long since I featured a maple recipe. Let’s finish off November with Maple-Walnut Cookies!
The texture of these cookies is pillowy and light. Overall, they are soft and chewy, though the bottom is crisp thanks to the pan, while the turbinado sugar creates a crust on top.
Walnut and maple are such a great combination. Here, the walnut half crowns each cookie and not only adds great flavor and texture, but they just plain look lovely.
Bready or Not: Maple-Walnut Cookies
Equipment
- parchment paper
- tablespoon scoop
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) room temperature
- 2/3 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon maple flavor
- 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
- 3/4 cup walnut halves
Instructions
- Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in maple syrup, egg, vanilla, and maple flavor. The ingredients may look curdled.
- Gradually add in the dry ingredients, scraping the bottom of the large bowl a few times. Chill bowl in fridge for about 30 minutes to reduce stickiness.
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Measure out the turbinado sugar in a small bowl.
- Roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough in the turbinado sugar. Set spaced out on baking sheet. Press a walnut half into the top of each round.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Cookies should be set but still soft. Let rest on sheet for 10 minutes before transitioning to a cooling rack.
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Slow Cooker Apple Steel Cut Oats
These Slow Cooker Apple Steel Cut Oats are not the most photogenic of foods, but they are delicious, healthy, and good, and probably one of the most convenient meals in my cooking repertoire.
I’ve been cooking this recipe for over five years now, tweaking it here and there, making it better. What I present here is really a foundation. This recipe can be customized all kinds of ways–either when the food is being assembled, by adding in different spices or apples, or by tweaking it at serving time.
I love using Gala, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady apples, but go for any good baking-type apple or a variety thereof. You don’t want the apples to go to mush. Or maybe you do? That might not be a terrible thing here.
I typically use unsweetened vanilla almond milk or cashew milk, but any plain or vanilla nut, soy, or oat milks would work, or you can opt for dairy milk.
This isn’t an overnight slow cooker oats recipe. I’ve tried that. Even on low and warm settings, the oats just plain overcooked for my preference. The consistency goes brick-like and the pot requires some intense scraping if you don’t use a removable liner. I prefer to make this during the day, and then portion out the oats to go in the fridge and freezer. They reheat beautifully.
Bready or Not Original: Slow Cooker Apple Steel Cut Oats
Equipment
- large slow cooker
Ingredients
- 2 cups steel cut oats no substitutes
- 2 cups nut milk or oat milk, regular or vanilla, sweetened or unsweetened
- 2 cups water
- 2 medium apples peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in slow cooker and stir to distribute. Place lid on pot and put heat level to LOW. Cook for 3 hours before lifting lid again. Stir and taste to test doneness. Continue to cook for 30 minutes to an hour more, dependent on the desired texture for the oats. The longer it cooks, the thicker it will be.
- Serve oats fresh, or stash in fridge to reheat in microwave over the next week. These oats are great to portion out and freeze for later. If desired, add more spices, fresh fruit, or extra milk when serving–the customization possibilities are endless!
*OM NOM NOM!*
Bready or Not Original: Hard Maple Candy
This Hard Maple Candy garnered the name “Canadian meth” at my husband’s work. By that nickname, I take it that they 1) liked it, and 2) kept eating it.
On a more personal note, this candy could also work as a shiv, because this stuff is like GLASS. Trust me when I say that if you decide to break this into pieces with your hands, you will get little cuts all over. Ow.
So maybe tap the candy gently with the butt of a butter knife or use a little mallet, whatever you have that will break the candy apart without harming your pan, counter, or you.
Once you survive that stage, though, wow will you have a lot of candy to enjoy. Definitely make this to share with a crowd, or you just might go into diabetic shock.
It’d be a delicious way to go, but seriously, I don’t recommend going at all. We’ve made it this far in 2020. Hold on a while longer.
Bready or Not Original: Hard Maple Candy
Equipment
- 15x10x1-inch pan (jelly roll pan)
- candy thermometer
Ingredients
- nonstick spray
- 3 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup water
- 3 Tablespoons maple flavor
Instructions
- Heavily apply nonstick spray to the jelly roll pan.
- In a large saucepan, stir together the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Start heating up. Set up candy thermometer and stir frequently as the heat rises to 300-degrees, which is hard-crack stage.
- Remove pan from heat. Stir in maple flavoring. Immediately pour candy into the prepared pan. Cool completely, which won’t take long.
- Carefully break into pieces. Note that this stuff is like candy glass, and if breaking with hands, it can and will cut the skin.
- Pack into individual bags or tins for gift-giving, or stack it in a large sealed container with waxed paper between layers. Can keep for weeks.
