Banana and Maple-Walnut Muffins

Makes 18 muffins

Sweet, ripe bananas replace the eggs, and yummy maple syrup substitutes for processed sugar in these moist and delectable “anytime” muffins!

2 ¾ cups (firmly packed) freshly ground, gluten-free oat flour (see note)

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 ¾ cups peeled and thinly sliced ripe bananas

2/3 cup Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup

½ cup unsweetened dairy-free milk

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin and 6-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.

Put the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt into a large bowl and stir with a dry whisk to combine.

Put the bananas and maple syrup into a medium-sized bowl and mash into a very chunky purée using a potato masher or large fork, making certain that small chunks of banana are still visible.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the banana/maple mixture, dairy-free milk, and olive oil and stir with a large spoon until thoroughly combined. Fold in the walnuts.

Mound about 3 tablespoons of the mixture into the prepared muffin cups, using a cookie scoop or spoon. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Put the muffin tin on a wire rack and let cool at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. Covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator, leftover muffins will keep for about 3 days.

Chef’s note: To make 2¾ cups firmly packed oat flour, put 3 to 3 1/4 cups gluten-free, quick cooking (or old-fashioned) rolled oats into a blender (or food processor) and process into coarse flour.

Recipe excerpt from Easy Vegan Home Cooking by Laura Theodore. Publisher, Hatherleigh Press, October 26th 2021. Distributed by Penguin Random House. Reprinted by permission.

Maple-Bran Muffins

Ingredients

3/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups unprocessed bran
1 cup sour cream or yogurt
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Instructions

Beat Syrup and Eggs until light and fluffy. Stir in Bran and let stand to allow Bran to soften. Fold in sour cream. Stir in remaining ingredients just until moistened. Batter should be lumpy – spoon into greased muffin tins. Bake at 400°F for 20 min. or until browned. Yield: 12 muffins. Serve warm.

Maple Pecan Scones

Ingredients

3 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup Pure Maple Syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 tsp. salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 9 x 13 baking sheet. Stir together the Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt. Using a pastry cutter, 2 forks, or your hands cut in the butter to coarse meal. (freezing and grating the butter beforehand will create a flaky, moist scone). Fold in the Pecans. Whisk together in second bowl the maple syrup and cream. Combine the liquid and dry ingredients with swift strokes; just until the dough clings together. To avoid overly dense scones, work the dough as little as possible. Roll out on floured surface to 2-inches thick. Cut scones with a 3-inch biscuit Cutter or form a large disk and cut wedges. Optional brush with melted butter and sprinkle with Maple sugar.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes to keep scone dough as cold as possible. Place in oven and bake until golden brown.

Maple Pecan Pie

Ingredients

1 9′ Pie crust
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup Pure Maple Syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups pecan halves or pieces

Instructions

Line 9″ pie pan with your favorite crust. In bowl, combine all ingredients.
Pour in shell and bake in lower half of oven at 350°F for 35-40 minutes. Cool.

Maple Oatmeal Cookies

Children who taste these cookies beg for more. They are from sugarmaker Sharon LaPorte of Underhill Center, Vermont.
Variation: Add 1/2 cup chopped nuts, raisins, chocolate or coconut to the dough.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
1 3/4 cups Pure Maple Syrup
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
6 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9 x 13 inch baking sheets. In a large bowl, beat together butter, maple syrup, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir in oats. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes approximately 80 cookies.

Rolled Maple Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup shortening
3/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
2 Tbsp. milk
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

Cream shortening with sugars. Add well-beaten eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, and salt, sifted together. Mix and chill thoroughly. Roll out thin on floured board and cut with cookie cutter. Bake on greased cookie sheets in 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Makes 6 dozen 3 inch cookies.

Easy Refrigerator Sweet Rolls

Ingredients

2 cups warm water (110°F – 115°F)
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
6 1/2 – 7 cups flour

Instructions

Dissolve yeast in water – stir in sugar, salt, shortening, and eggs. Mix in flour until dough is no longer sticky. Place in greased bowl, cover, and place in refrigerator to rise. Dough can be kept refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. About 2 hours before baking, remove from refrigerator and flatten out dough into a large rectangle. Brush dough with 2 Tbsp. melted butter or margarine. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Pure Granulated Maple Sugar and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Roll dough jelly style and cut into 1 1/2″ wide pieces and place cut-side up in a greased pan. Cover and let rise for about 40 minutes. Bake at 350°F for 15 – 20 minutes. When rolls come out of the oven, spread Pure maple Cream on top to frost.

Maple Cheesecake

Ingredients

8 oz. cream cheese – softened
8 oz. whipped topping
1/2 cup Pure Maple Sugar
1 pre-made graham cracker pie crust

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together and pour into pie crust. Let chill overnight. Sprinkle top with Pure Maple Sugar before serving.

Maple Walnut Squares

Ingredients

For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine

For the Filling:
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup Pure Maple Syrup
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

To make the crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan. Combine flour and sugar, cut in butter until crumbly. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes; let cool.

To make the filling: Combine brown sugar and Pure Maple Syrup in a small saucepan and simmer 5 minutes. Place beaten eggs in a mixing bowl; slowly pour syrup over beaten eggs, stirring constantly. Stir in vanilla, flour, and salt and pour over baked crust. Sprinkle walnuts over top and bake in a 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in a pan on a wire rack, cut in 1 3/4″ squares.