Maple Ice Cream with Sweet Pastry

What greater way to celebrate Canada Day than by indulging in two of Canada's most prized possessions - Maple Syrup and what some refer to as BeaverTails! I absolutely ADORE both of these sweet heavenly treats. I figure why not put the two together for a true "fireworks" dessert.

For trademark purposes, let me clarify:  the pastry recipe found here is based on one in the book: 250 Best Canadian Bread Machine: Baking Recipes and does NOT reflect the official trademarked recipe for BeaverTails.  To be safe, from this point forward I will refer to the used recipe here as one for "Sweet Pastry".

If memory serves me correctly, I had my first real BeaverTail in the mid 90s while skating along the canal in my home town of Ottawa, Canada. Actually I was born near Ottawa in the province of Quebec. As I cannot speak a word of French I figure labeling Ottawa as my hometown just simplifies things and saves me explaining yet again why I, a "Quebecer", cannot speak the language. But I can speak the language of love and what comes to my lips when I think of love is a golden, fried and sweet beaver tail topped generously with cinnamon sugar. Pair that with a hot chocolate in the middle of February and I am yours ! Pair it with maple ice cream in the summer and hey, I can be anything you want me to be, baby.

Anyway, back to BeaverTails. In case you are not aware, Ottawa is home to the worlds largest skating rink known as the Rideau Canal. For me, the best part of the winter season isn't exactly the canal itself but rather the little food kiosks they open up along its frozen edges. Once I don my skates, I immediately head for the BeaverTails Hut. In fact, that is the only reason I will ever drag my butt down to the canal in the freezing cold with my feet jammed into a pair of ice cube skates. Such is my love of the BeaverTail.

These indulgences shouldn't end when the snow melts. We shouldn't sit back and pine away for the cold tundra to arrive again before we can sink our teeth into our favorite pastry treat. Let's enjoy such sweet pastries all year long!

During a hot, sweltering summer day nothing beats the taste of a fresh sweet pastry topped with cool and creamy maple syrup ice cream. Close your eyes and try to imagine it. Bet you can't. You have to taste it! In this case your imagination simply isn't going to do it justice. To taste it means to make it so let's get started.

Ok but wait, before we dive in I need to moan about the ice cream too. OMG! It is sooooo creamy and rich. The maple syrup gives it an incredibly sweet , almost caramely (ok not a word but so suiting) flavor. Super on its own or even with added pecans but beautifully highlighted atop a beaver tail. I am not sure if I will ever be able to go back to eating ice cream from a cone ever again.

To get started, give yourself 2 days of time from start to finish. You will want to prepare the ice cream custard the day before and let it rest in the fridge overnight. Bright and early the next day spoon it into your ice cream maker and freeze accordingly to manufacturer's instructions. Later that day it is time to fire up the bread maker. We will use it to make your sweet pastry dough. Have a candy/oil thermometer handy too because you will need to keep your oil for deep frying hovering around 350F for perfectly golden fried dough. So are you ready? Great, let's go !





RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

ICE CREAM
*adjusted source recipe: Maple Pecan Ice Cream, Joy of Baking

3/4 cup pure maple syrup. I use President's Choice 100% Maple Syrup but any good grade one will do
2 cups half-and-half cream
5 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons fine granulated sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream (35-40% butterfat )

SWEET PASTRY
*adjust source recipe: 250 Best Canadian Bread Machine: Baking Recipes

1 cup of milk at room temperature
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon butter at room temperature
3 1/4 cups bread flour
3/4 teaspoon bread machine yeast

SWEET PASTRY TOPPING

1/2 cup fine granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon (Saigon variety is great for extra kick!)
Combine both in a bowl and have a spoon handy for sprinkling

MAKE IT

ICE CREAM

IN SMALL SAUCEPAN, over med/high heat, combine maple syrup and half-and-half
STIR continuously until near scalding (mixture will begin to foam)
REMOVE from heat
IN LARGE STEEL BOWL, with electric hand mixer, beat egg yolks and sugar 2 minutes high speed
SLOWLY pour hot syrup mixture into egg yolks adding only a little bit at a time and whisking after each addition
PLACE bowl over a large saucepan filled partially with simmering hot water. Do not let the bowl touch the water
WHISK custard continuously until thickened and coats the back of the spoon. This can take approx. 15 minutes or longer. Do not let it get so hot it starts to boil
REMOVE from heat, stir in heavy cream and cover with cling film.
LET STAND at room temperature for 1 hour
PLACE in fridge, still covered, and let sit overnight
NEXT DAY, scoop custard into ice cream maker and freezing accordingly to manufacturer's instructions.

SWEET PASTRY

ADD all ingredients in the order above to your bread maker's bread pan
SET to dough cycle, press START , sit back and relax
WHEN cycle ends, place dough onto lightly floured surface and cover with a bowl for 15 minutes
IN LARGE DUTCH OVEN, heat 2"-3" of canola oil to 350F
LINE two cookie sheets with paper towel and set aside
UNCOVER dough and separate into 10 pieces
WITH YOUR FINGERS, stretch the dough into 8"x 6" ovals
PLACE one oval into hot oil and submerse with steel tongs
FLIP after 45 seconds and hold down again for 30 seconds
REMOVE with tongs and place on paper towel lined baking sheets
IMMEDIATELY sprinkled generously with cinnamon sugar mixture
REPEAT until you have made 10 beaver tails

TOP THE SWEET PASTRIES
with scoops of maple ice cream, grab a napkin, a spoon and DIG IN !

Also seen here:

Sugar Cookies - plain and simple

Sugar cookies are a wonderful light tasting treat. They pair well with tea, coffee and for the kids, a big glass of milk. Ice them or leave them plain. The choice is yours. Play with fun cookie cutter shapes. There are hundreds of possibilities out there for you to explore!

These sugar cookies, once cut and baked, will last for several weeks when stored in an air tight container.

I usually ice my cookies with royal icing but I loved the simplicity of these flower cutouts. I used a dusting of icing sugar on my work surface as well as on top of the cookies before rolling out. It makes rolling 100% easier as it reduces sticking which tends to be the most difficult challenge when dealing with this type of dough because YES, it will stick to waxed paper too. What I really love though is how the icing sugar creates a shiny glaze on the baked cookies. Perfect for cookies that will be eaten as-is, fresh out of the oven.

I added the scraping of one vanilla bean to the dough. I love the flavor it adds and also the small specks of vanilla really enhance the appearance.

Making these cookies does take awhile because of the chilling phase required before baking so be prepared for playing a little bit of the waiting game.

Also, do not OVERMIX! I cannot emphasize this enough. You do not need to cream together the butter and sugar as you would a cake because the longer you cream, the more tiny bubbles are created. Its these bubbles which give cakes height. The opposite of what you want. You want a thin and crispy cookie!

Lastly, when rolling the dough do not go back and forth with the rolling pin. You can easily overwork the dough resulting in one tough cookie. To roll, simply place your rolling pin in the middle of the dough and roll outwards: forward motions from center outward and backward motions from center inward. Rotate the dough when needed to roll out the sides, again starting from the center at all times.





LET'S GET STARTED
* source recipe adapted from Sweetopia

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup fine granulated sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
scrapings from one vanilla bean
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
icing sugar for rolling

MAKE IT

IN LARGE BOWL, cream together butter and sugar on MED speed for no more than 1 minute.
ADD egg and mix only until combined
ADD vanilla bean and vanilla extract, mixing until blended
SIFT in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt
MIX on low speed until the dough starts to form together; no longer than 45 seconds
PLACE piece of waxed paper on work surface
DUST it with icing sugar
PAT out dough into a disc and place on waxed paper
SPRINKLE lightly with icing sugar
PLACE another piece of waxed paper on top of dough
ROLL out dough between the waxed paper to 1/4" thickness
PLACE cookie dough, still in waxed paper, onto a cookie sheet and let sit in refrigerator for 1-2 hrs

PREHEAT OVEN 350F
LINE 2 cookie sheets with waxed paper
TAKE COOKIE dough out of fridge and place back, still in waxed paper, onto work surface
REMOVE TOP LAYER of waxed paper
DIP cookie cutter edges lightly into icing sugar
CUT out desired shapes and with a hard edged spatula, lift and place on cookie sheets
BAKE 8 -10 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown
ALLOW to cool on baking sheet 5 minutes then gently remove with spatula and place on cooling rack.
ALLOW to cool completely (approx. 30 minutes)

Leave plain or ice with royal icing.
A great base cookie - a blank canvas - ready for decorating!

Vanilla Sugar

Anyone can make vanilla sugar. It is as easy as 1-2-3. It is lovely to have a jar of vanilla infused sugar handy whenever your heart (and tummy) desires.

Sprinkle it on cereal, add it in your tea or coffee. Especially great when added to cookies, muffins, cupcakes, pancakes and waffles.

My personal fave: rolling sugar cookies in it right before they are pressed down into discs. A wonderful way to add extra flavor.

Now let's get started !

To make your own vanilla sugar
just follow these simple steps:

• Choose a container that will allow you easy access to the sugar. I purchased my diner-style sugar dispenser from Bulk Barn here in Canada. I know Walmart carries them too.
• Fill the container nearly to the brim with fine granulated sugar
• Pour the sugar out and into a clean bowl
• Take 1-2 vanilla beans ( based on how much you like vanilla because 2 beans means very, very vanilla sugar) and score them down the middle with a paring knife
• Scrape out the seeds and whisk them into the sugar
• Cut the bean into 1/4" pieces and add to the sugar giving it a quick stir
  
• Pour everything back into the jar and seal tightly
• Allow to sit for at least a week so the vanilla can fully infuse the sugar

ENJOY !

Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles

A batch of "cinnful" gluten-free snickerdoodles. These cookies are one of my children's favorites and always beat out the normal flour-based variety time and time again.

Sweet, soft and chewy surrounded by a heavenly coating of sugar and cinnamon.

The recipe is an adaptation of one I have used repeatedly, with rave reviews, from
The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook.

This is a wonderful cookbook for those who have gluten allergies or sensitivities.
Many recipes are dairy, egg, soy, nut and sesame free as well.

The true Snickerdoodle recipe in her book is both vegan and gluten-free.
I, on the other hand, used eggs, butter and milk
instead of her alternative ingredients.

Basic Gluten-Free Baking Mix
used throughout the book:

• 4 cups superfine brown rice flour (preferably from Authentic Foods)
• 1 1/3 cups potato starch (NOT potato flour)
  
• 2/3 cup tapioca flour or tapioca starch

LET'S GET STARTED

I keep my gluten-free baking mix in a ziploc bag and store it in the fridge.
Give it a good shake before using to ensure all ingredients are mixed together.

My daughter Charley preparing the sugar and cinnamon
that the cookies are rolled in prior to baking.


Here are the cookies rolled in sugar/cinnamon mix and ready for baking.
They only take 10 minutes in the oven!


Ten minutes later - these are FANTASTIC !
They will settle somewhat as they cool.

RECIPE (adapted from The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook, Cybele Pascal)

WHAT YOU NEED

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons gluten-free flour mix (ingredients listed above)
1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon xantham gum
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I used Crisco brand)
3/4 cup fine granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (I use Madagascar vanilla)
1 egg at room temperature
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon milk ( I used 2% but whole would be fine too)
2 tablespoons fine granulated sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 375F
LINE 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper

WHISK together first 5 dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside
COMBINE butter and shortening with an electric hand-mixer on MED speed for 1 minute
ADD white and brown sugars. Blend until combined.
ADD egg and vanilla extract. Mix , scraping down sides of bowl with spatula when needed.
SLOWLY add 1/2 dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Blend until combined
ADD milk. Blend.
ADD remaining flour mixture and mix until combined.

IN SEPARATE SMALL BOWL, combine sugar and cinnamon
TAKE A HEAPING TEASPOON of dough per cookie, roll into a ball then roll thoroughly in sugar/cinnamon mix. Continue until all dough is used up - should give you 22-24 cookies.
PLACE cookies 3 inches apart on baking sheets.

BAKE for 10 minutes
LET COOL on cookie sheets for 10 minutes
REMOVE from cookie sheets and allow to cool another 10 minutes on cooling rack.

DIG IN !!!

Giant Lemon Sugar Cookies

Reading my blog roll today I was pleasantly surprised to see a gorgeous photo of a stack of Giant Lemon Sugar Cookies. I was instantly intrigued. I could almost smell the citrus. Spring was in the air.

So I put down the cup of coffee and dove in. Before long you could smell lemon throughout the house.

The result is one incredible cookie!

These are crisp on the edges, chewy in the middle
and big enough to hold with two hands!
Cheers to after-school snacks - here's hoping I didn't set the bar too high !

This recipe was featured today on One Perfect Bite.
With Mary's permission, I am reposting the recipe here and sharing the love !

HERE WE GO !!!

This recipe calls for the zest of two lemons.
I love how Mary adds the zest to the rolling sugar for that extra kick !


The dough came together in a snap; a rich heavenly dough laden with butter and fresh lemon juice and zest. I will admit that yes, I ate raw cookie dough today.
Trust me, you would have too !

Balls of chilled dough rolled in lemon infused sugar


Now to figure out what to use to press them down into 1/2 inch deep circles. I tried a glass and that didn't work. It left strange indentations. A saucer was too large. And then I saw it. This little plastic gadget the kids use to make egg sandwiches.


It worked !!! Perfectly pressed and ready for the oven !

These are truly beautiful and won't last long !

RECIPE as posted on One Perfect Bite

Giant Lemon Sugar Cookies ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar, divided use
Zest of 2 large lemons, divided use
1 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 to 2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:
1) To make lemon sugar: Combine 1/2 cup sugar with 1 teaspoon lemon zest in the bowl of a mini-food processor. Pulse until lemon zest is incorporated into sugar. Pour into a small bowl and stir to break up any clumps. Set aside.
2) To make cookie dough: Combine flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with reserved 1-1/2 cups sugar. Blend in eggs, one at a time. Add lemon extract, lemon juice and reserved lemon zest. Add flour mixture, one cup at a time, blending well after each addition, until all flour is incorporated.
Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
3) To bake cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Shape dough into balls using 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie. Roll in reserved lemon sugar. Bake in batches of six cookies per 18 x 13-inch baking sheets. Place balls of sugar coated dough on cookie sheets. Press down with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup until cookie is about 1/2-inch thick. Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes. Remove tray from oven. Let cookie sit on tray for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Yield: 24 saucer-sized cookies.

ENJOY !!!!!!