HOMEMADE MAPLE BAR DOUGHNUTS

 You’re going to need some coffee to go with this post…. 

 I need some coffee too, but not just because of these maple bars. You see, my computer is still trying to ruin my life by going as slow as it can. I happen to be extra busy so this is driving me crazy. It’s gotten to the point that I have to restart everyday and that means it closes all of my windows and I keep forgetting to do things. 

 I’m going to reset the factory settings on it but the problem with that is it’s a catch-22 situation. I need to save things on it first but I’m having a hard time doing that because it needs reset. Plus, it’s a Chilean computer so everything is in Spanish. I can figure most of it out but I still need to work on my Spanish, a lot, so that adds yet another challenge. 

 Ughh, okay dwelling on it at the moment is not going to help anything so I’m just going to focus on something wonderful like…..I know, Doughnuts! Doughnuts make everything better and these aren’t just any doughnuts, they’re maple bars! 

 I grew up with a mom who loves doughnuts. In fact, she loves them enough that they are usually her chosen unit of measuring other foods. Growing up everything was always compared to a doughnut; This is the best, it tastes like a doughnut!, or It’s good, but I’d rather be eating a doughnut, or, That does not count as dinner because it’s basically a doughnut.Yep, we’re a weird family, but you probably already figured that out. 

 So these are by no means the prettiest maple bars ever. I neglected to take their shapes seriously, something I’ll never do again, and they ended up a having a little more character than I’d like. 

 They’re just special that’s all, but you guys don’t mind that do you? Actually, I think the uglier and less perfect foods are always the ones that taste the best, or at least that seems to be the case with these. Don’t worry, what they lack in cosmetic perfection they make up for with outstanding flavor. 

 Pure maple syrup is something that you can’t get here, or at least not on a consistent basis, so when I made these with some of the maple extract that I’ve been rationing it was really exciting to the gang. It’s pretty insane how fast they disappeared and now they are on the top of the list for things I need to repeat. 

 Homemade Maple Bar Doughnuts

Prep Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours

Yield: 10 barsIngredients

• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup slightly warm milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup organic vegetable shortening or butter (melted)
• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Maple Glaze:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if doing by hand), dissolve yeast in milk and allow to sit for about 5 minutes until bubbly. Beat in eggs and sugar, then butter and salt until combined. Add flour a cup at a time until it comes together into a smooth dough. Place in a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap, and place in warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours. (Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough overnight.)
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle roughly 1/2 an inch thick and 10x12 inches. Cut into 10 bars (about 5 x 2 1/4in) and place bars on clean tray in a warm lace to rise for about 45 minutes.
3. While the bars are rising stir you'r glaze together. Whisk syrup, vanilla, milk, and salt in a medium bowl. Add powdered sugar a cup at a time and stir until smooth.
4. Heat about 3 inches of oil in a large high-sided skillet or pot to 350 degrees F (180 C). Gently lift 2 to 3 bars at a time and drop carefully into oil. Fry on each side for 35 to 45 seconds until golden then flip and repeat on other side. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to gently lift them out and place on a plate lined with paper towels.
5. Dip bars in glaze while still warm and place them on a wire rack to dry for a few minutes before serving.

Many more recipes and photos available at GRINGALICIOUS.COM 

 

WHO AM I?

Hi, I’m Tori and this is my little speck of the internet where I share my recipes, photography skills-in-progress, random thoughts, and occasional posts about my life.

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

I grew up in a small town near Nashville Tennessee raised around a large number of extended family and church friends. When I was 15 my family sold most of our belongings and moved to northern Idaho where we started a small dairy farm and learned to live like eskimos in the crazy winter snow. Guess what, I can now add milks a mean dairy goat to any future resume! Then when I was 17 my family switched to mobile version, as in we sold everything minus what we could carry, and moved to southern Chile.

WHY DID YOU START THIS BLOG?

I was raised around cooking and great food so I’ve always had a passion for being in the kitchen, but moving to a place with such a different culture and style of eating bumped things from passion to necessity. Of course, as you can see from this blog, that doesn’t mean I don’t like to have fun with food too. When I started spending so much of my time cooking and baking anyway it only made sense to jump into blogging and mix my love of creativity with food. What started out as a way to share recipes with friends and family has turned into a place that inspires me and I hope will inspire you also.

WHAT’S WITH THE NAME GRINGALICIOUS AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY “CHANGE”?

We tend to stand out already because we’re from the US  but when I came up with the name for this blog we were living in a very very small town where we stood out extra because everyone knew everyone else and their cat’s names. Yes, we are considered gringos here but in Chile that is closer to a compliment than an insult. I like to compare the feeling to being somewhere between an alien and a movie star.As for the change, well, the last few years of my life have been defined by lots of changes and moves. In fact, I’ve lived in  5 different homes already since starting this blog a year ago. We do our best to follow what we feel God calls us to do and for now that means learning to roll our r’s.

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?

I believe in being honest,  loving unconditionally, laughing uncontrollably (sometimes for no reason at all), singing in the shower, eating chocolate daily, living everyday as if it’s the last, and following my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM THIS BLOG?

Here on the blog you’ll find a mix of things I’ve made to please the tastes of my family, things I’ve made for fun, copycats of favorite junk foods, and healthy things for the days I feel guilty for all the over the top sugar coma recipes. I try to stick to a regular posting schedule but that doesn’t always happen with things like volcanic eruptions and just life getting in the way. However, I do my best to keep sharing recipes and improving my photography skills as much as I can.

PLACES YOU MAY FIND ME……

Well, the kitchen obviously, or standing on various things to get a good overhead shot of  a bowl of soup. Oh, and you can also see my galleries on Foodgawker, Tasteologie, Tastespotting, Healthy Aperture, WholeYum, and Finding Vegan. I’m not a huge fan of social media but I’m on Facebook , Twitter, Google+, Instagram, and Pinterest too.

CAN I BORROW A PHOTO?

I try to be pretty open with sharing things but I have put a lot of my time and effort into this stuff so I’d appreciate it if you could credit my blog and please feel free to ask if you’d like use one of my pictures.