We ♥ Local Bakers!!
Congratulations Jamie Seiffer, winner of the We ♥ Local Food dessert recipe competition!
Jamie won for his 100% local Chewy Maple Cookies which have the most intense maple flavor we’ve ever tasted while maintaining a satisfyingly soft texture. This lucky fellow has been awarded a year's supply of organic maple syrup from Hillboro Sugarworks of Bristol, Vermont!
Congratulations also to our three runners up:
- Janet Hicks with her Maple’snips Mousse gets the prize for most creative use of a root vegetable with this parsnip-based dessert.
- Molly Grover won many fans at the farmers’ market with her Blueberry Crumble Bars gilding the local lily with crème fraîche.
- Kristen Brownlow melted our taste buds with her Honey-Kissed Berry Yogurt Cake.
Thanks to all who submitted recipes!
The Winning Recipe: Chewy Maple Cookies
Submitted by Jamie Seiffer
Makes 35-45 small cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups Maple Syrup
- ½ Cup Butter
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 Egg
- 2 Cups Red Hen White Flour
Directions:
Boil the maple syrup down to 1/3 the amount in a large pot. The syrup will foam up so keep a close eye on it to avoid a sticky mess! Using a candy thermometer, make sure the temperature doesn't exceed 250° and cool to 212° before stirring in the butter. If the melted butter just pools on the top of the syrup, heat the whole mixture up stirring constantly until the butter is incorporated. Cool again until the temperature is below 120º and add the vanilla, baking powder, and egg (make sure the temperature is below 120º or the egg will cook!). Add the flour and mix until combined. Chill until thick enough to scoop out solid-ish balls of dough.
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Using a small scoop, scoop chestnut sized balls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes until pale gold. They will be soft when they come out so carefully transfer them to a cooling rack and make sure to let them cool. They get better the longer you cool them.
PS: No candy thermometer in your kitchen? No Problem! City Market has candy thermometers available in Aisle 4 (they're hanging high up on the shelf!) for under five bucks!