Maple Dumplings

Medically reviewed by Christiana George Updated Date: December 17, 2022

Maple season is over in our parts and I have lots of maple syrup to use to make goodies. This recipe is one that my mom used to make us all the time while growing up. It’s quick, easy, and it’s full of maple syrup. Of course, I called my mom for her recipe , but she was not very specific on measurements. And she calls back later to say she forgot one ingredient. Don’t worry mom, I Googled it.

I found a recipe that closely resembled my mom’s. In Quebec this dish is called Grand-Père dans le Sirop. I just replaced the butter with Crisco, because that it what mom uses and I baked it in the oven instead of cooking it on the stove-top, just like mom. Then I added some cinnamon to the dough, because I felt like it. I happen to enjoy the taste of cinnamon and maple.

The dough needs to be on the thick side, because you need to form it into balls and line them up in a 9×13 glass dish.

I used a large scoop, about the size of a scoop of ice cream. The dough will puff up and spread, so no need to be perfect.

And then the best part, pour the pure maple syrup over all the dough and bake it in the oven.

See, I told you it was easy. You’ll love the smell that baking this treat brings to your kitchen.

When it comes out of the oven the dough will have absorbed a lot of the maple syrup . The top of the dough will have a slight crispness to it, but the bottom is where the treasure is. The bottom of the dough will be soft and soaked with sweet maple syrup. The remaining syrup in the dish will have thickened and you can pour it over the dough. This dish is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Just look at all that maple gooeyness at the bottom. That’s where all the flavor is. And yes, the addition of cinnamon was the right choice. I even sprinkled some cinnamon sugar on the whipped cream.

Maple Dumplings

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert maple syrup dumplings casserole French Canadian spring

Ingredients (18 servings)

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup milk
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups maple syrup
1/2 cup water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º F

In a stand mixer combine the flour, milk, baking powder, vegetable shortening, salt and cinnamon. Mix on low until all incorporated and dough forms. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.

With a large scoop, scoop dough into even balls and place in a 9 x 13 glass dish.

Pour maple syrup over the balls of dough, then pour the water over the syrup.

Bake at 350º F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the dough comes out clean.

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Pear And Blue Cheese Tart

Baked Dessert

Christiana George

Updated Date:
June 8, 2023

Oops, an unintentional hiatus. And now an entire week has passed with hardly a check-in.

Weeks like the last can feel strange once they’re over. It was busy. BUSY. So that all other activities fell by the wayside. I don’t think I touched the stove at all except to heat up some canned soup (again, clam chowder). I also didn’t get the chance to take any photos for myself. Not even yesterday, when we ventured out of the city to go hiking in Cold Spring, New York.

Let me tell you, the fall foliage is stunning! We hiked to the top of a hill, where we stopped for lunch and peered down into the valley. Total tableau moment. A mottled, vibrantly-colored blanket of trees that swooped down into the valley, the Hudson River, gleaming and wide and slow, train tracks leading to the small town of Cold Spring along the shores of the river. And gosh, the town was cute. Do all New England towns look like this? Are they all so picturesque? It’s utterly foreign, just like the sight of palm tree-lined roads might be foreign to some of you. But they really do exist in California, even in random, unglamorous suburbs.

I can see why people love this season most of all. It answers the question of how the unbearable heat could possibly give way to unbearable cold. It’s done in increments, step-by-step, although on some days you feel that winter is very imminent. And on others, like today, you make sure to go outside and enjoy the sun for as long as you can.

I’m glad I have a down-filled jacket in my closet.

I made this pear and blue cheese tart a couple weeks ago. Chris gobbled it up, although he removed every chunk of blue cheese in his mouth’s way. Without the blue cheese, the tart reminds me an awful lot of a bear claw. Which I find irresistible. I mean, pear-scented puff pastry covered with almonds? Am I right?

The blue cheese fancies up the tart. I’m not opposed to that at all. It becomes sweet and salty and, well, peculiar in the way that blue cheese makes everything a little peculiar. Delicious. And perfect for the fall.

PEAR AND BLUE CHEESE TART

Adapted from Leite’s Culinaria

Makes 1 square tart

Ingredients:

1 9-inch square frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1/2 pound blanched almonds
1/4 cup sugar
1 to 2 pears, unpeeled, stemmed and thinly sliced (I used Asian pears)
Honey for drizzling
2 to 4 ounces blue cheese
1 egg white, beaten with a small drizzle of water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Use a pairing knife to score a line around the perimeter of the rectangle about 1/2 inch from the edge to make a border. Use a fork to poke holes inside the border so that the dough will remain flat as it cooks while the border will puff to create a lip for the tart.

Combine the almonds, sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon of water in a food processor and grind to a paste. Spread the paste over just the portion of the puff pastry inside the border. Arrange the pear slices over the almond paste. Drizzle with the honey and crumble the blue cheese over the top. Lightly brush the border with the egg and bake until the pastry is puffed and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before cutting into squares.