Breakfast – my favorite meal, and also one of the best to make as a family. As a mom of a three year old, I’m always looking for ways to get her involved in the kitchen. Breakfast or brunch recipes are what we like cooking together. And with the current state of social distancing, what better way to get through it then with a yummy brunch cooked as a family.

Maple Craft Foods, a Sandy Hook based family business has shared a few brunch ideas. We’re huge fans of their Bourbon Barrel Maple Syrup in our house and I feel like I’m constantly buying it at Caraluzzi’s. Besides sharing the recipe ideas,  owner Eve Stabinsky-Ackert also shared some of the benefits of Maple Syrup, particularly around the fact that it’s a healthier sweetener. Eve is a mom of two (Sophie, 20 & Noah, 14), who started the business along with her husband in 2014. They wanted to make foods that did not include white sugar, food coloring and other unhealthy and unnatural ingredients, so they started using maple syrup to cook and bake with. Did you know maple syrup has 2/3 less sucrose than sugar, and 65+ important immune-boosting minerals like zinc, potassium, and calcium plus antioxidants?!?

Maple Crafted Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients

• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup favorite flavor Maple Craft Syrup
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• Optional 1/3 – 1/2 cup fruit (raisins, blueberry, strawberries, bananas, chopped apples, etc.)
• Additional milk, cream (or even vanilla ice cream!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon
3. In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk, & butter
4. Stir into oat mixture with the Maple Craft Syrup (adding any of the optional fruit) until blended
5. Spoon into a greased 9-in. baking dish. Bake 40-45 minutes or until set
6. Serve warm with milk (and optional – sliced bananas!). Makes approx. 6 servings.

Maple Craft Granola

Ingredients

• 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (use gluten-free oats for gluten-free granola)
• 1 1/2 cup raw nuts and/or seeds (we like pecans and sunflower seeds)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup olive oil, or melted coconut oil if you have it
• 1/2 cup Maple Craft Syrup (your favorite flavor)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup dried fruit, chopped up if large
• Optional mix-ins include 1/2 cup chocolate chips or coconut flakes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts and/or seeds, salt and cinnamon. Stir to blend.
2. Pour in the oil, Maple Craft Syrup and vanilla. Mix well, until everything is lightly coated. Pour the granola onto your prepared pan and use a large spoon to spread it in an even layer. Bake until golden, about 21 to 23 minutes, stirring halfway. The granola will further crisp up as it cools.
3. Let the granola cool completely, undisturbed, before breaking it into pieces and stirring in the dried fruit (and optional mix-ins). Store the granola in an airtight container in the pantry for 1 to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Candied Bacon

Ingredients

• Bacon (preferably thick-cut)
• Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Craft Syrup
• Cracked pepper (Black and/or Red)

Directions

1. Preheat over to 300
2. Lay bacon slices out on wire rack placed over parchment-lined baking sheet (or directly on parchment)
3. Brush liberally with syrup
4. Sprinkle with cracked pepper as desired
5. Bake on top rack for 20 minutes and flip slices over
6. Repeat steps 3 &4 and bake for another 20 minutes
7. Get ready to make some more!!

Maple Craft Foods will deliver anywhere in Newtown for FREE. If you order directly from their website, please don’t forget to use code CABINFEVER to save 25%. 

All photos courtesy of Maple Craft Foods. For more great recipes, please visit them here.