2016 Big E Recipe Contest Winners
The Massachusetts Maple Producers Association hosted its second annual Massachusetts Maple Syrup Dessert Contest at the Big E on September 27, 2016. These are the winning entries.
First Place Winner
Maple Pecan Tiramisu
Ingredients:
3 large eggs 1 cup maple pecan infused Bourbon whiskey (recipe follows)
6 Tablespoons Massachusetts maple syrup
2 Tablespoons Marsala wine
8 oz. Mascarpone cheese
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
10 maple ladyfingers (recipe follows)
Crushed pecans and white chocolate leaves for garnish
Directions:
Combine egg yolks, 5 tablespoons of Massachusetts maple syrup, and wine in a large bowl. Beat until smooth. (2-3 min.)
Add Mascarpone and beat until smooth. (3-5 min.)
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until foamy.
Slowly add remaining tablespoon of Massachusetts maple syrup and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold into Mascarpone mixture.
One at a time, brush all sides of each maple ladyfinger with infused bourbon and place half on the bottom of a small serving dish.
Cover with half of the Mascarpone mixture.
Repeat with second half of ladyfingers and Mascarpone mixture.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and crushed pecans.
Refrigerate overnight.
Place white chocolate leaf in center before serving.
Maple pecan infused Bourbon whiskey recipe:
Soak 1/2 cup of pecans in water for 30 minutes. Strain and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with 1 teaspoon Massachusetts maple syrup and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees until brown. Cool and place in bowl with 1 cinnamon stick. Pour bourbon into bowl and cover. Refrigerate 2-3 days.
Maple ladyfinger recipe (adapted from “Joy of Baking”)
Ingredients: 1/2 cup cake flour, sifted
3 large egg yolks, room temperature
2 Tablespoons Massachusetts maple syrup, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 Tablespoons Massachusetts maple syrup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. To make the piping of the cookies easier, use a pencil and ruler to divide the parchment paper into three – 3 inch rows, with about 1 inch between rows. Have ready a large pastry bag with a 1/2 inch opening cut at the end.
In your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment beat the egg yolks and 2 tablespoons maple syrup on high speed for about 5 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick and pale yellow. (When you raise the beaters the batter should fall back into the bowl in a slow ribbon.) Beat in the vanilla extract. Sift the cake flour over the batter but do not fold in.
In a clean bowl, with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the 3 maple syrup and whip until stiff peaks form and the whites are glossy. Fold the whites into the egg yolk and flour mixture in three additions, mixing only until incorporated.
Transfer the batter to the pastry bag and, holding the bag at about a 45 degree angle to the baking sheet, pipe the batter into 3 inch long ladyfingers, using the lines drawn on the parchment paper as your guide. Pipe the batter leaving about a 1 inch space between the cookies.
When you have piped all the cookies, lightly brush the tops with maple syrup. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the ladyfingers are firm and browned.
Remove the baking sheets from the oven and slide the parchment paper from the baking sheets onto a wire rack. Let the ladyfingers cool for a few minutes and release them from the parchment paper, with a flat spatula, while they are still warm. If you left them completely cool before removing them from the parchment they stick and hard to remove without breaking. Finish cooling the ladyfingers on the wire rack before using or storing. If you are not using the ladyfingers right away, freeze them. Ladyfingers stale very quickly unless they are soaked in a liquid. To store, place in a plastic bag between layers of wax or parchment paper and freeze up to 2 weeks.
Makes about 4 1/2 dozen 3 inch Ladyfingers
Pecan Garnish: Remove pecans from bourbon and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until browned.
White chocolate leaves: Gently wash and dry maple leaf. Brush with melted white chocolate and refrigerate until hard. Peel leaf off of chocolate and brush with shimmer powder.
Samantha Drake, S. Easton, MA
Second Place Winner
Pumpkin Maple Cheesecake Swirl Bars
Crust:
2 cups crushed ginger snaps
1/2 cup melted beutter
1 T granulated sugar
Pumpkin filling:
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 eggs
1/2 cup Massachusetts maple syrup
1 t cinnamon
Cheesecake filling:
2 8oz bars of cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 cup Massachusetts maple syrup
Preheat oven to 375. Grease an 8″x8″ pan with softened butter and set aside.
In a large bowl combine crushed ginger snaps, melted butter, and sugar. Press mixture into the greased 8″x8″ pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until later.
In another large bowl combine pumpkin, eggs, Massachusetts maple syrup, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In another large bowl combine softened cream cheese, eggs, vanilla extract, and Massachusetts maple syrup.
Remove crust from refrigerator and pour cheesecake filling into crust.
Top cheesecake filling with spoonfuls of pumpkin filling. Swirl cheesecake and pumpkin together with butter knife.
Bake bars for 55 minutes or until set.
Refrigerate bars for at least 4 hours before serving.
Danielle Pearce
Third Place Winner
Maple Bacon Pudding Cake
Ingredients
1 Yellow cake mix
1 bottle dark amber maple syrup
1 package vanilla pudding
1 package maple bacon
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
1 Container of Cool Whip
Instructions:
Bake the yellow cake recipe following the box or homemade recipe you like best. I use Duncan Hines and I use only half the water they ask for, then substitute maple syrup for the other half.
Candy the bacon by sprinkling the bacon with brown sugar and cinnamon, then bake it until it just turns crispy.
Make the vanilla pudding but add one cup of maple syrup and one cup of milk instead of two cups of milk.
When the cake cools I use a straw to poke holes in it every 2 to 3 inches apart, then drizzle maple syrup in the holes. Don�t worry if some gets on top of the cake since you want it to absorb in.
Chop the bacon into bits. I use a small food chopper.
Cut a piece of cake and place it in a dish or sundae cup then cover it with pudding. Next add Cool Whip then generously sprinkle the candied bacon on top. Add a second layer on top of the first and serve.
Stephen Tessier, East Hartford, CT