Victory Doughnuts - Homemade Baked Maple Bars

Today, Bryce and Daniel came over to watch the Seahawks game with us. :)

Although I am very, very tired today, I decided to try one of the recipes I pinned on Pinterest awhile ago.

Homemade (baked) Maple Bars!

They turned out fabulous. :)

I used this recipe, but I'm posting what I actually did here on my blog, since I changed it a little bit:



Maple Bars
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup shortening   butter
4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup lukewarm water
4 1/2 tsp. yeast
2 large eggs, beaten
5 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg


Maple Icing
1/3 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar (make sure there are no molasses chunks - they will not cook down)
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons mapleine
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the dough:

• In a medium saucepan scald milk; add butter, 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar, and salt. Stir to combine and set aside to cool to lukewarm. (I didn't quite let it cool until it was lukewarm; but it didn't seem to matter)
•  In a large mixer bowl, add the lukewarm water and the yeast (remember the water should be just lukewarm, too hot and it will kill the yeast)
• Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of sugar to the yeast and water and whisk to combine. Let sit for about 5 minutes until it starts to bubble and become foamy. 
• After the yeast is foamy and the milk mixture is lukewarm, add the eggs to the yeast and stir to combine, then add the milk mixture to the yeast mixture. 
• Whisk the cinnamon and nutmeg into the flour and gradually add to the yeast mixture. You may need to add more, you want the dough slightly sticky but not too sticky.  
• Knead for 3 to 5 minutes. (Mine got too thick and heavy to whisk; so I probably kneaded for a good 10 minutes as I mixed in the last of the cinnamon/ nutmeg flour mixture)
• Spray another large bowl with non-stick spray, place dough in the bowl and let raise for an hour or until double in size. (I let mine go for exactly one hour).

• Punch down and roll out into a large rectangle about 1 inch thick. Cut the rectangle in half, and then each half into 6 pieces to make 12 bars, then place on a greased baking sheet. (I split mine onto two baking sheets).
• Let raise for about 30 minutes. 
• While bars are raising,  preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Bake the bars for 7 to 8 minutes or until light golden brown, Watch carefully. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before icing. (I didn't let mine cool for longer than 10 minutes, because the icing probably won't spread well if they're too cool).

Make the icing while the bars are raising:

• In a small saucepan mix butter, brown sugar and milk. (I used a spatula for stirring).
• Bring to boil for medium heat and simmer 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. 
• Add the mapleine and powdered sugar and blend well with a hand mixer. (I mixed it first with the spatula, so that powdered sugar didn't go all over my kitchen). 
• Add a little more powdered sugar if needed (I didn't add any extra).
• Spread on the cooled bars

Thumbs up for "Victory Doughnuts!"

 

 The boys all approved, calling them "Victory Doughnuts."  

 

The only advice I really have about this particular recipe is to be patient - the dough takes awhile - and make sure you're always watching what you're doing. I didn't mess up, but I easily could have. It helped to have all the ingredients measured out before I started, too.

I love trying out Pinterest recipes! :)