An Authentic Vermont Cookie

  

And when it comes to these kinds of cookies, you best bet on the butter quotient, simply because in this case, butter does make it better! Gesine Bullock-Prado, who is the author of the new cookbook, My Vermont Table, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about how these self-described "cozy" cookies, and the butteriest you'll ever make. Gesine told Tonia that these are Maple Tuiles, a French cookie by heritage, kicked with the seasonal flavor of maple, arguably one of Vermont's most famous exports. Gesine told Tonia that even though these cookies are fancy French, you only have to bake them for three minutes. Your reward, a crispy, buttery cookie you'll adore!

4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick; 57 g) unsalted European butter (I use Vermont Creamery cultured butter), at room temperature.

1⁄2 cup (96 g) maple sugar (I use Choice Maple out of Hartford, VT)

1 large egg white, at room temperature

1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1⁄2 cup (60 g) unbleached, all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur)

1⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the butter and maple sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until smooth. Scrape the bowl and add the egg white

and vanilla bean paste. Mix until combined. Scrape the bowl again, add the flour and salt, and mix until combined. Alternatively, you can mix this by hand in a bowl with a flat, wooden spoon. In that case, make sure your butter is slightly softer than room temperature.

Place about a teaspoon of the batter on a silicone baking mat and spread into a very thin 2-by-4-inch rectangle. Bake for 1 to 2 minutes, until the batter is golden brown. While the cookie is still warm and pliable, roll the cookie around a chopstick into a tight cylinder. Once you get a hang of the process, you can graduate to making two cookies at a time.

Excerpted from MY VERMONT TABLE: Recipes for all (Six) Seasons by Gesine Bullock-Prado Copyright © 2023. Used with permission of the publisher, Countryman Press. All rights reserved.

Raymond Prado photo credit

Super Sweet Coffee!

    

And the name of this fantastic sweet is called Affogato.  Simply made, it's a scoop of vanilla ice cream, combined with a shot of hot espresso. Amy Traverso, with Yankee Magazine, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about this recipe, which really isn't much to write down!  Amy told Tonia there's a lot of flavorful combinations here, including the robust flavor of the espresso, brought together with the richness of the ice cream.  Don't forget about the hot and cold offsets either! It sounds great, but taking it a step further, Amy says they've found that adding maple syrup to the mix really makes it even better.  Try it and see!

• 4 large scoops vanilla gelato or vanilla ice cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup, warmed in microwave
• 1/2 cup hot freshly brewed dark-roast coffee or espresso
• Garnish: 1/2 teaspoon Tonewood maple flakes (optional)

Instructions:

Chill four small glasses or bowls in the freezer at least 15 minutes. Put 1 scoop of ice cream in each bowl. Stir the warmed maple syrup into the coffee and pour over the ice cream. Top with maple flakes if desired.

A Classic New England Recipe

 

And especially for this time of year! Rustic Maple Dumplings that really scream New England, even if they did originate in Quebec. Amy Traverso, who's the Senior Food Editor for Yankee Magazine stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about these scrumptious dumplings, known in French as Grandperes that really sing when dunked in a maple syrup mix. Amy told Tonia that while you can make the sauce with pure maple syrup, it can be a little expensive, so she thins out the sauce with water, some rum and other ingredients to stretch it just a little further. Amy promises you won't miss any of the taste!

Total Time: 35 minutes
Hands-On Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

For the sauce

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups water
• 1 ½ cups maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon rum (optional, but recommended)
• ½ teaspoon table salt or fine sea salt

Instructions

In a 4- or 5-quart Dutch oven, bring water, syrup, rum, and salt to a low boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, make the dough.

For the dumplings

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 4 ½ tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup buttermilk
• Chopped toasted pecans and whipped cream, for garnish

Instructions

Put flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of a food processor, and pulse them. Sprinkle in butter cubes and pulse 6 to 8 more times, or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and stir in buttermilk until evenly combined.

With a spoon, scoop up a walnut-size bit of dough. Drop it into the syrup, then repeat until the pot is two-thirds full (the dumplings expand). Cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and let the dumplings simmer until fluffy and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. If the syrup gets too thick, add a bit of water to thin it out. Serve dumplings warm, topped with whipped cream and toasted pecans.

A True Vermont Cookie

 

And when it comes to these kinds of cookies, you best bet on the butter quotient, simply because in this case, butter does make it better! Gesine Bullock-Prado, who is the author of the new cookbook, My Vermont Table, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about how these self-described "cozy" cookies, and the butteriest you'll ever make. Gesine told Tonia that these are Maple Tuiles, a French cookie by heritage, kicked with the seasonal flavor of maple, arguably one of Vermont's most famous exports. Gesine told Tonia that even though these cookies are fancy French, you only have to bake them for three minutes. Your reward, a crispy, buttery cookie you'll adore!

4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick; 57 g) unsalted European butter (I use Vermont Creamery cultured butter), at room temperature.

1⁄2 cup (96 g) maple sugar (I use Choice Maple out of Hartford, VT)

1 large egg white, at room temperature

1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1⁄2 cup (60 g) unbleached, all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur)

1⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the butter and maple sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until smooth. Scrape the bowl and add the egg white

and vanilla bean paste. Mix until combined. Scrape the bowl again, add the flour and salt, and mix until combined. Alternatively, you can mix this by hand in a bowl with a flat, wooden spoon. In that case, make sure your butter is slightly softer than room temperature.

Place about a teaspoon of the batter on a silicone baking mat and spread into a very thin 2-by-4-inch rectangle. Bake for 1 to 2 minutes, until the batter is golden brown. While the cookie is still warm and pliable, roll the cookie around a chopstick into a tight cylinder. Once you get a hang of the process, you can graduate to making two cookies at a time.

Excerpted from MY VERMONT TABLE: Recipes for all (Six) Seasons by Gesine Bullock-Prado Copyright © 2023. Used with permission of the publisher, Countryman Press. All rights reserved.

Raymond Prado photo credit

Some Maple with Your Coffee?

   

And the name of this fantastic sweet is called Affogato.  Simply made, it's a scoop of vanilla ice cream, combined with a shot of hot espresso. Amy Traverso, with Yankee Magazine, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about this recipe, which really isn't much to write down!  Amy told Tonia there's a lot of flavorful combinations here, including the robust flavor of the espresso, brought together with the richness of the ice cream.  Don't forget about the hot and cold offsets either! It sounds great, but taking it a step further, Amy says they've found that adding maple syrup to the mix really makes it even better.  Try it and see!

• 4 large scoops vanilla gelato or vanilla ice cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup, warmed in microwave
• 1/2 cup hot freshly brewed dark-roast coffee or espresso
• Garnish: 1/2 teaspoon Tonewood maple flakes (optional)

Instructions:

Chill four small glasses or bowls in the freezer at least 15 minutes. Put 1 scoop of ice cream in each bowl. Stir the warmed maple syrup into the coffee and pour over the ice cream. Top with maple flakes if desired.

A Great Side Dish That's Very Seasonal

Fall is here, and with the change in the seasons comes a desire for a hearty side dish to go with some cooler temperatures. Amy Traverso, who's the Senior Food Editor at Yankee Magazine, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen with a great idea for sugar pumpkins. Amy told Tonia she uses them in her recipe for Walnut Rosemary Glazed Pumpkin Wedges, which really makes for a nice side dish for your upcoming Thanksgiving feast, or other big holiday meal

Yield:

4-6 servings

Ingredients

1 medium sugar pumpkin (also known as pie pumpkin)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup walnut pieces
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400°F and set a rack to the middle position. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Slice off the top ¼ inch of the pumpkin to remove its stem. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut each half crosswise into wedges about 1½ inches wide at their widest point.

In a large bowl, toss the pumpkin slices with the olive oil, maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Arrange the wedges, skin side down, on the prepared baking sheet and transfer to the oven to cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the brown sugar, walnuts, rosemary, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt until the mixture looks like wet sand with small pieces of walnuts.

Remove the pumpkin from the oven and sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar mixture. Return to the oven and roast until the slices are golden brown and the walnuts are toasted, 10 to 12 minutes more.

March is For Maple

 

Let's get this month off to a sweet start with a delicious Maple Nut Bar! Amy Traverso with Yankee Magazine came by Tonia's Kitchen with a delicious recipe for those bars. Amy told Tonia these bars have a healthy dollop of maple syrup and a golden brown crust. The ingredients are simple and the recipe is very easy to follow. The end result is delicious! 

• 1-1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup granulated maple sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature, plus extra for pan
• 3/4 cup maple syrup (preferably Grade B)
• 1 large egg, beaten, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1 cup chopped almonds, pecans, or walnuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Make the crust: Whisk together 1-1/2 cups flour and 1/3 cup maple sugar; then cut in softened butter. Using a standing mixer, or a fork if you're working by hand, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal, dry and crumbly. Press mixture into the bottom of a greased 8- or 9-inch square pan. Bake 15 minutes.

To make the topping, combine 3/4 cup maple syrup, 1/2 cup maple sugar, beaten egg, melted butter, cream, vanilla, 1 tablespoon flour, and salt. Beat well; then stir in nuts. Pour batter carefully over half-baked crust.

Return crust and topping to the oven. Bake until set, about 35 minutes. Cut into small bars and remove from pan to cool.

A New England Classic

And especially for this time of year! Rustic Maple Dumplings that really scream New England, even if they did originate in Quebec. Amy Traverso, who's the Senior Food Editor for Yankee Magazine stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about these scrumptious dumplings, known in French as Grandperes that really sing when dunked in a maple syrup mix. Amy told Tonia that while you can make the sauce with pure maple syrup, it can be a little expensive, so she thins out the sauce with water, some rum and other ingredients to stretch it just a little further. Amy promises you won't miss any of the taste!

Total Time: 35 minutes
Hands-On Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

For the sauce

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups water
• 1 ½ cups maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon rum (optional, but recommended)
• ½ teaspoon table salt or fine sea salt

Instructions

In a 4- or 5-quart Dutch oven, bring water, syrup, rum, and salt to a low boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, make the dough.

For the dumplings

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 4 ½ tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup buttermilk
• Chopped toasted pecans and whipped cream, for garnish

Instructions

Put flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of a food processor, and pulse them. Sprinkle in butter cubes and pulse 6 to 8 more times, or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and stir in buttermilk until evenly combined.

With a spoon, scoop up a walnut-size bit of dough. Drop it into the syrup, then repeat until the pot is two-thirds full (the dumplings expand). Cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and let the dumplings simmer until fluffy and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. If the syrup gets too thick, add a bit of water to thin it out. Serve dumplings warm, topped with whipped cream and toasted pecans.

The Crispiest, Butteriest Cookies You Can Bake in Three Minutes

And when it comes to these kinds of cookies, you best bet on the butter quotient, simply because in this case, butter does make it better! Gesine Bullock-Prado, who is the author of the new cookbook, My Vermont Table, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about how these self-described "cozy" cookies, and the butteriest you'll ever make. Gesine told Tonia that these are Maple Tuiles, a French cookie by heritage, kicked with the seasonal flavor of maple, arguably one of Vermont's most famous exports. Gesine told Tonia that even though these cookies are fancy French, you only have to bake them for three minutes. Your reward, a crispy, buttery cookie you'll adore!

4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick; 57 g) unsalted European butter (I use Vermont Creamery cultured butter), at room temperature.

1⁄2 cup (96 g) maple sugar (I use Choice Maple out of Hartford, VT)

1 large egg white, at room temperature

1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1⁄2 cup (60 g) unbleached, all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur)

1⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the butter and maple sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until smooth. Scrape the bowl and add the egg white

and vanilla bean paste. Mix until combined. Scrape the bowl again, add the flour and salt, and mix until combined. Alternatively, you can mix this by hand in a bowl with a flat, wooden spoon. In that case, make sure your butter is slightly softer than room temperature.

Place about a teaspoon of the batter on a silicone baking mat and spread into a very thin 2-by-4-inch rectangle. Bake for 1 to 2 minutes, until the batter is golden brown. While the cookie is still warm and pliable, roll the cookie around a chopstick into a tight cylinder. Once you get a hang of the process, you can graduate to making two cookies at a time.

Excerpted from MY VERMONT TABLE: Recipes for all (Six) Seasons by Gesine Bullock-Prado Copyright © 2023. Used with permission of the publisher, Countryman Press. All rights reserved.

Raymond Prado photo credit

A Winning Combination: Maple and Coffee

  

And the name of this fantastic sweet is called Affogato.  Simply made, it's a scoop of vanilla ice cream, combined with a shot of hot espresso. Amy Traverso, with Yankee Magazine, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about this recipe, which really isn't much to write down!  Amy told Tonia there's a lot of flavorful combinations here, including the robust flavor of the espresso, brought together with the richness of the ice cream.  Don't forget about the hot and cold offsets either! It sounds great, but taking it a step further, Amy says they've found that adding maple syrup to the mix really makes it even better.  Try it and see!

• 4 large scoops vanilla gelato or vanilla ice cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup, warmed in microwave
• 1/2 cup hot freshly brewed dark-roast coffee or espresso
• Garnish: 1/2 teaspoon Tonewood maple flakes (optional)

Instructions:

Chill four small glasses or bowls in the freezer at least 15 minutes. Put 1 scoop of ice cream in each bowl. Stir the warmed maple syrup into the coffee and pour over the ice cream. Top with maple flakes if desired.

Fall is Here...Now Here's a Seasonal Pudding

   



If this doesn't sound great for the season, what does? Maple-Bread Pudding made with soaked Fuji apples and Angry Orchard Hard Cider.  Sounds delicious doesn't it! Erin James, who wrote the cookbook Tasting Cider, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about this wonderful dessert dish!  Erin told Tonia she combines the apples, the cider and dark maple syrup to create this concoction. And while Erin is the author of the cookbook, she's also the editor of Cidercraft Magazine.

8 large eggs 
1quart heavy cream 
1 cup granulated sugar 
2 cups dark maple syrup, divided 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
1 teaspoon pure maple flavoring or extract
1 cup Fuji apples, peeled, diced and soaked overnight in dry cider 
1 pound brioche, cut into 2-inch cubes
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Whisk together the eggs, cream, sugar, 1 cup of the maple syrup, vanilla and maple flavoring in a large bowl. Add the soaked apples and brioche; stir to coat. Butter a 9- by 13- by 2-inch baking dish. Transfer the bread mixture to prepared dish and let stand at room temperature for 1½ hours.

Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C). Bake for 40 minutes, until golden brown, slightly risen in the center and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and, using a small knife or skewer, poke holes all over the pudding. Pour the remaining 1 cup maple syrup over the pudding and allow it to cool until just warm. Top with vanilla ice cream and serve.