Maple Bars

I got this recipe from my friend Debbie Johnson.  It is such an easy roll recipe but the real beauty is her maple bars that she makes.  They are truly "to die for", try them and see.

Rolls:

1 1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cube butter

Put all of these together in a microwave safe bowl and heat until the butter is melted. Pour the milk mixture into your bosch or whatever you have and then add:

2-2 1/2 Tablespoons yeast, 

She adds more yeast in the cold weather less in the summer.

Leave until yeast is bubbly.

Add:

1 egg (beaten)

1 Tablespoon dough enhancer

3-3 1/2 cups flour

Maple flavoring until dough is brown about 1-2 Tablespoons (omit Maple flavoring if making rolls)

Knead in the machine for about 10 minutes. Let it rise in the bowl or on the counter for 15 minutes.  The dough is now ready to make into rolls or maple bars.

For maple bars roll dough into a rectangle spread with 1/2 stick or less of softened butter and sprinkle with this sugar mixture:

Sugar Mixture

1/2 cup chopped nuts-pecans walnuts or almonds

3/4 cup white sugar

1 Tablespoon maple flavoring, or until the mixture is gritty/sandy

  Slice the dough into 12 equal vertical strips.

   Fold each strip in half and twist the dough a few times

Lay on a parchment lined cookie sheet slightly touching, so that they have room to rise. Sprinkle the leftover nuts and sugar on the counter over the top of the twisted bars.  Leave them to rise for 15 minutes. You don't want them to double in size you just want them to get a little bit bigger. Bake 350 for 15 to 20 minutes until light brown.

Frost liberally with maple cream cheese frosting while warm.  So Good!

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese

2 Tablespoons butter

1 pound powdered sugar

1 Tablespoon Maple flavoring or more

Make now, bake later:

After bars are twisted and on the pan, cover with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze until you are ready to bake them.  Take them out of the freezer and let thaw and slightly raised.  Bake as directed.  I do this if I make them a day or two before I want bake them.