Maple Syrup Layer Cake

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Recipe

• 1 cream butter and sugar well. add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• 2 blend in maple syrup and vanilla.
• 3 gradually add sifted dry ingredients by thirds, alternately with the hot water; and ending with dry ingredients. gently stir in walnuts.
• 4 pour into 2- 8 inch greased and floured layer pans.
• 5 bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
• 6 cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. remove layers and cool completely on wire racks.
• 7 frost.

Maple Pecan Oatmeal Drops With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup uncooked quick oats
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans or 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup chopped pitted dates (or raisins, dried cherries or cranberries, etc.)
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans or 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350*f.
• 2 cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy.
• 3 blend in the maple syrup.
• 4 combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to the butter mixture.
• 5 with the mixer on low speed, stir in the oats, pecans, and dates.
• 6 drop dough by rounded tbsp.
• 7 2" apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• 8 bake for 12 minutes, or until light golden brown.
• 9 cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes; transfer cookies to wire racks and cool completely.
• 10 frosting: cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth; blend in the maple syrup.
• 11 gradually beat in the powdered sugar until smooth and spreadable.
• 12 frost tops of cooled cookies; sprinkle with finely toasted pecans.

Maple Sugar Cake

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon maple flavoring
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon mace
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons maple flavoring
• 4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2-3/4 cup sour cream
• chopped walnuts

Recipe

• 1 in a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. in a bowl, combine the syrup, milk, sour cream and maple flavoring.
• 2 in another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, clovs, allspice, nutmeg and mace; add to creamed mixture alternately with syrup mixture.
• 3 pour into two greased and floured 9 inch round baking pans. bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to a wire rack to cool.
• 4 for frosting, in a mixing bowl, cream butter and maple flavoring. gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar. add enough sour cream to acheive spreading consistency. spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. sprinkle with walnuts if desired. store in the refrigerator.

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars (grain Free)

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 24
• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup flax seed meal
• 1 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup peanut butter or 1/2 cup almond butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons honey (or more to taste)
• 1 cup baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon coconut cream concentrate or 1 teaspoon heavy cream

Recipe

• 1 pulse nuts, flax and shredded coconut in a food processor until fine meal; place in large bowl.
• 2 melt coconut oil and nut butter over medium low heat, stirring until smooth.
• 3 add vanilla, honey and salt, stirring until incorporated; fold into nutmixture and mix thoroughly.
• 4 press into a 9 x 12-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper or waxed paper; chill in freezer for 20 minutes.
• 5 meanwhile, melt the second 1/2-cup coconut oil over low heat; add honey and stir until blended.
• 6 stir in cocoa with a wire whisk, until smooth. add coconut cream concentrate and stir.
• 7 quickly spread over frozen bars, then return to the freezer for another 10 minutes.
• 8 remove from freezer and lift bars out with the parchment paper. cut into bars. serve immediately and keep leftovers in refrigerator.

Raspberry Nut Butter Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 5 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 6 eggs, separated
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 1 cup less 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup walnuts, ground
• 3/4 cup pecans, ground

Recipe

• 1 in a bowl. beat egg whites until stiff. set aside.
• 2 in a large bowl, beat butter with sugar until thoroughly creamed.
• 3 beat in egg yolks, then jam, vanilla, and rum.
• 4 in a small bowl, stir together flour and baking powder.
• 5 beat into creamed mixture; then stir in nuts.
• 6 stir about one-third of egg whites into batter to lighten it and then fold in the rest gently but thoroughly.
• 7 turn batter into a greased and floured tube pan.
• 8 bake cake in a 350°f oven for 65 to 70 minutes or until it tests done with a toothpick.
• 9 transfer to a rack to cool.

Karithopita (greek Walnut Cake)

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 eggs, separated
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon clove
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 1/2 cups dry breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup cognac
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup cognac
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• cinnamon stick
• freshly whipped cream

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350°f; butter and flour a 13 x 9 baking pan.
• 2 in a bowl combine the walnuts, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, breadcrumbs, flour, and baking powder.
• 3 in a small glass, dilute the soda with the cognac.
• 4 beat the egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form.
• 5 in a large bowl mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar and then add the eggs yolks; mix in the soda with the cognac, and add the milk and the walnut mixture, beating until well combined; fold in 1/4 of the beaten egg whites to lighten batter, then carefully fold in the rest; it is ok if a few streaks show in the batter; spread into the prepared baking pan.
• 6 bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the cake tests done; cool completely.
• 7 for the syrup: mix all the ingredients together in a medium saucepan; bring it to a boil and boil for 5-7 minutes; remove cinnaon stick and pour hot syrup over cooled cake; let the cake cool completely before serving.
• 8 note: it is very important that the cake has cooled completely before the hot syrup is poured on as it will turn mushy otherwise.

Port Wine Spinach Salad With Sweet And Spicy Pecans

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 cup port wine
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup pecans or 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (or more)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 12 cups spinach or 12 cups baby greens, this dressing sticks better to soft lettuces
• 2 apples, cut into thin wedges (i like to use pink ladies) or 2 pears, cut into wedges
• 1 ounce blue cheese, cut into pieces (or more)
• 1/4 red onions, cut into eighths and sliced (optional) or 1 -2 shallot, minced (optional)

Recipe

• 1 to make dressing, reduce port wine to 3 tablespoons.
• 2 transfer port syrup to another container, and whisk in balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil. dressing may be made in advance, and re-whisked before serving.
• 3 bring water to a boil in a medium pot. using a strainer or sieve, dip nuts in boiling water for one minute (this removes some of the bitterness).
• 4 transfer nuts to a bowl and immediately sprinkle with sugar. mix until all of the sugar is melted.
• 5 heat canola oil on medium high heat in a nonstick pan. sauté nuts for a few minutes. the nuts will become sort of candied.
• 6 scatter nuts on a plate and sprinkle with spices. toss to coast. stir occasionally as nuts are cooling. nuts may be kept for up to one week.
• 7 toss spinach with dressing, and arrange apples, red onions, nuts, and blue cheese over the salad.