#69 :: Maple Candied Bacon

These were very tasty....almost like candy! And they smell wonderful while they're cooking....it was really hard not to take them out early and eat them!

Ingredients

• 1 pound thick sliced bacon, good quality
• 1/2 cup maple syrup, Grade B
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Finely groung black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy foil. Place a baking rack over the lined sheet tray and arrange the bacon slices across the rack next to each other, not overlapping.

In a small bowl, whisk the maple syrup and mustard. Generously spoon over the top of the bacon, and bake 12 to 15 minutes. Turn the bacon over and baste with syrup mixture. Bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the bacon has reached desired crispiness.

Carefully remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle hot bacon with a scant pinch of finely ground black pepper. Let the bacon rest on the rack for 5 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

Recipe from 5 Ingredient Fix on Food Network

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

#23 :: Blueberry Pancakes

Jamie made breakfast this morning! Every now and then when we're lucky, he makes pancakes. My pancakes just never turn out right. They're always lop-sided and weird-shaped and don't cook through the middle. Jamie's are consistently good. So today, I had perfect blueberry pancakes!

Ingredients

• Pancake mix (1 cup mix, 3/4 cup water)
  
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 1 cup fresh or frozen/thawed blueberries
• Cinnamon butter
• Maple syrup

Directions

Make the pancake batter as directed on the package. (We use 1 cup of pancake mix and 3/4 cup of water).

To the pancake mix stir in the cinnamon, vanilla and sugar. Then gently fold in the blueberries.

Cook on a 375 degree griddle (or in a pan over med/high heat sprayed with cooking spray) until the edges are firm and you see bubbles in the middle. Flip, cook for another 30 secs. to 1 min.

Top with cinnamon butter, blueberries and maple syrup and serve immediately.



Makes about 8 pancakes.

Recipe from Jamie.

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

#9 :: Applesauce Granita with Maple Yogurt

Not only is this yummy, but it's a good low fat dessert too (for all those who started diets yesterday!). It's super simple to make, it literally only takes a few seconds! This is an Italian Ice style dessert that makes a great replacement for ice cream!

Ingredients

Granita:

• 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup plain regular fat free yogurt (not Greek-style)
• 1 tablespoon good quality maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

For the Granita: In a shallow 8-inch square pan, stir the applesauce and lemon juice together and spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Place the pan in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

For the Sauce: In a bowl, combine the yogurt, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Chill the sauce until ready to serve.

Remove the granita from the freezer. With a fork, scrape the surface of the granita to gently fluff it up. Serve immediately, in dessert glasses or dishes, drizzled with yogurt sauce.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa d'Arabian on Food Network.

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5