So, after some initial hesitation, I finally jumped onto the Stardew Valley bandwagon. I thought it was cute, and I played some. Then I played some more. And then more. And I thought, “Uh oh…”
This is one instance where I really wish Steam didn’t keep track of how many hours I’ve spent playing a game.
Of course, it’s easy to tell myself that any game with food in it is “research”, but at some point, that means I have to actually make those foods to justify the time! One dish from the game that has stuck with me was the Maple Bar. You’ll need a few more ingredients than the game’s maple syrup, sugar, and flour, but it’s pretty easy, nonetheless.
Although my icing didn’t come out as dark as in the in-game image (I had a pretty light maple syrup on hand, unlike the darker stuff we usually enjoy), the flavors were just great. Soft squishy dough, a rich and flavorful icing, perfect with a mug of tea or coffee. I ate two, just to be sure they were good enough to share! ;)
Stardew Valley Maple Bar Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 1⁄2 cups milk, warmed
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 2 Tbs. brown sugar
- 2 Tbs. white sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. yeast
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 4 1/2 cups flour
Icing:
- 2 Tbs. butter
- 1 Tbs. heavy cream
- 2 Tbs. dark brown sugar
- 2 Tbs. maple syrup
- 1 cup powdered sugar, or more as needed
Combine the warm milk, melted butter, sugars, salt, cinnamon, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the eggs, then gradually work in the flour until you have a dough that isn’t too sticky. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for several minutes, until soft and bouncy. Place in a clean, lightly buttered bowl, cover, and set somewhere warm to rise for around an hour, or until doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 3/4″ thickness. Using a sharp knife (buttering the edge also helps), slice the dough into rectangles. Place these on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 400F, and let the bars rise for another 30 minutes or so. Bake for about 8 minutes, until just golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and let them start to cool while you make the icing.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, cream, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar a little bit at a time, until you have a thick icing with no lumps of sugar remaining.
Once the bars are mostly cool, but still just a tad warm, spread a dollop of the icing on top of each, spreading it over the dough. The residual heat of the buns and the icing should let some drizzle over the sides, but you want most of the icing to stay on top.
Lastly, enjoy! These delicious treats will undoubtedly give you a boost to your fishing, farming, and mining skills, so eat them wisely. ;)