Best ever Maple Bars

I experimented with my own recipes yesterday... I love my baked maple bars, but yesterday I thought I would try my favorite Scone recipe and ice them with the maple icing from my maple bar recipe.... oh my goodness! these are better than any maple bar bought at a bakery ever! Especially when you eat them warm with a glass of milk for breakfast! Enjoy!

The Best Scone Recipe

1 Tablespoon yeast (1 envelope)

1/4 cup warm water

1 Cup Warm water 

1/4 cup shortening 

1 1/2 teaspoons salt 

2 1/2 cups flour 

1/3 cup powdered milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten 

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water ( I added 1 Tablespoon of the 1/4 c. sugar.) Mix dry ingredients together then cut in shortening. Add egg, water, & yeast mixture until you have a smooth dough. Add more flour if needed ( I add about 1/2 cup or so more flour. You need to be able to handle it.)

Place in an oiled bowl and let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour). Heat oil in a dutch oven and roll out dough to 1/4" thick. Cut into pieces and fry on both sides until done. Top with Honey butter or jam! YUM! :o)

For maple bars ice with them maple icing and top with chopped cooked bacon if desired. 

Maple Icing

1/3 cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2-3 teaspoons mapleine (found by the flavor extracts and seasonings) or maple extract ( I used 3 teaspoons)

1/8 teaspoon salt

In a small saucepan mix butter, brown sugar and milk. Bring to boil for medium heat and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. Add the mapleine, salt and powdered sugar and blend well with a hand mixer. Add a little more powdered sugar if needed (I added about 1/4 cup more)

Dip the maple bars in the warm frosting until coated on the top, sprinkle with chopped cooked bacon and enjoy!

Giant, Chewy, Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

I LOVE this recipe! It makes the best crunchy, chewy chocolate chip cookies ever. At first you will think they won't turn out because when I made them the dough was on the crumbly side especially after I got all the yummy chips and nuts in there. But press the dough into a large golf ball size ball and slightly flatten with your hands and bake like it says. Delicious!!! Enjoy!

Giant, Chewy, Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 1 dozen or two
Ingredients

• 2 cups flour

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon corn starch

• 1 Tablespoon vanilla

• ¾ cup butter

• 1 cup brown sugar

• ½ cup white sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips 

• 1 cup Heath toffee bits
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions:
Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, corn starch) and sift together.
Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. The butter will start to foam and then start browning. You will be able to smell a nutty aroma when it's ready. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Do not burn!
Cream butter with sugars together in a large mixing bowl. (this doesn't really cream with melted butter but whip it for a couple of minutes anyway)
Beat in the vanilla and then add in the eggs and continue beating until the mixture is light and creamy. (again, it won't be really light and creamy like a usual cookies dough)
Add in the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips and toffee bits, (and pecans if you are using them)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Drop cookie dough ¼ cup at a time onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Space cookies about 3 inches apart and bake for 12-14 minutes. If you like you can bake a batch and store the rest of the dough in the fridge in a tupperware container. Just take out and bring to room temperature when baking another batch.
The cookies are done when the edges are golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire racks to finish cooling. Store in Zip loc bag!
Enjoy!