Maple Cream Bread

I am about to celebrate my 7th year of blogging at the end of the month.  It's hard to believe I have been doing this for so long. Though I love comments, I don't mind when readers don't leave them.  We all have busy lives.  I would like to have some idea as to how many people are reading and what content you might like to see more of.  So, if you have time, could you just leave a quick comment and let me know what you might like to see more of...or less of?  Thanks so much!

About once a year I make this very special treat for my family.  First I make Sky High White Bread.


This bread dough is wonderful to work with:

Mix this until you have a soft dough ball and place it in a covered bowl and let it rise for about 1 hour or until it looks like the above photo.

You will need two loaf pans.

Brush them with butter.

Punch the dough down and turn it out on to your counter.

Split it into 2 equal pieces.

Flatten them into rectangles.

And roll them into logs.  Roll them tightly so you have no air pockets.

Place them in your buttered pans.

Cover them and place them to proof.

They will look like this in about 45 minutes.

Remove the plastic, duh!

And place them in your new clean ovens.  I am really enjoying them while they are still clean.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until 190 on an instant read thermometer.

Remove from pans and cool on racks.

What a nice crumb.

And now comes the best part.

Spread a slice with maple cream.

We used to spend lots of time in Quebec and just outside the city, there is a small roadside store.  For $1.00, you can buy a huge slice of fresh bread spread with this wonderful maple cream.  My kids always loved it.  Now I just make mine at home.

Comments

Dee said…
I enjoy everything you post! Love the cooking for the shelter. Love the trips you share with us. And really love Teddy!
Megs said…
Me, too! I love the cooking, Teddy, gardening, your collections, and decorating.
Your blog is the first one I read every day. It gives me great ideas.
Vera said…
Echoing others' comments, I enjoy everything about your blog -- your recipes are always interesting and great, love the gardening and seeing where you go on your adventures, love hearing about the shelter, etc. Always a pleasure to read - thank you.
gloriahanaway said…
Your blog is wonderful! I love your recipes (you gave me courage to bake bread after my Mother told me all my life I didn't have enough sense to bake bread! YOU did that!). I made your hot dog buns! My Mother ate the WHOLE hot dog in complete silence! I love Teddy and his search for Bad Kitties! I love your stories of cooking for the shelter and the happiness you bring to them. I love your Halloween and Holiday decorating and your beautiful grounds and gardening. I used to wonder what you looked like but it really doesn't matter anymore. I know whatever you look like on the outside, you are beautiful on the inside.
Ten years congratulations. I love your cooking gardening road trips decorating and cultural trips. You are so kind and generous in sharing with your guys at the shelter//mission
Marie said…
I'm also a regular reader although I never comment because my blog is written in another language, so I tend to just lurk on English blogs.

But today I will "de-lurk" to say that I love everything you write. I've enjoyed making many of your recipes which are always easy to follow and really tasty. I also enjoy the snapshot of your day and reading about your garden and the shelter. You write with a warmth and directness that I enjoy. I am absolutely amazed that you can find time in your busy life to share this information with us all!
Anonymous said…
oh my yum!!!!!!
Nellie said…
Well, I just love it all! I'd love to be able to see you work in the kitchen! Aren't those new ovens fabulous?
capecodgirl565 said…
Well, since you asked...you go on a lot of great road trips and see a lot of beautiful scenery, but you never mention where they are. Would love to know more about location so perhaps we could travel there as well. Congratulations on the blog, always interesting reading.
dustbunny8 said…
Love all your post! Try many of your recipes.Teddy is always nice to hear about.We share the love of Halloween and gardens and nothing like hearing about someones good road-trip!Thank you for sharing with us, keep it coming!
p.s. Your cooking for the shelter is awesome too.
brokenteepee said…
I enjoy all of your posts. You make me smile with tales of Teddy, drool with your good cooking and I love the trips.
cl said…
I love the variety of things you blog about. I have tried many of your recipes and would LOVE to come sit in your beautiful yard and keep Teddy company. Like another reader, I too would like more detail on where your adventure are taking you. I'd like to share some of the same things with my friends. I also love the Blog tech!
Leanne said…
post what ever you want to post - I enjoy popping in every morning to see what you you have been up to. Love Leanne
Anonymous said…
I'm quite happy with Your blog as it is now, a bit of everything and lots of food :-)

It's a bit too sweet for me to have such a thick layer on my bread but a thin one is quite delicious :-) Swedes should just know what they miss since >I don't think it's possible to buy maple cream over here :-)

Have a great day!
Christer.
HappyCrone said…
Teddy, it's all about Teddy for me, and then the rest is frosting!
Thanks bunches
Marian said…
I love all of your posts. But I especially adore your recipes. So many of our family favorites have come from you! :) Thank you!
Dog Trot Farm said…
Good afternoon Joyce, I so enjoy your blog, I may not always comment, but am a dedicated reader...I would love to know more about you...perhaps see more of your beautiful home and of course Miss Teddy...she is such sweet eye candy...Greetings from snowy Maine...
Ellen in Oregon said…
Congratulations of reaching the 7 yr. mark for blogging! That is a lot of hard work & I really appreciate having the opportunity to read your posts each morning.
I love the variety of topics as is. I would love to see posts on where you go to buy your ethnic & gourmet ingredients (there's not much of that where I live), photos of the shelter (just so we can picture where all that wonderful food is going) and maybe you could tell us how you came to be such a great cook & why you love what you do.
Marsha said…
I have always liked the variety of your posts, and I use several of your recipes. One thing might be helpful, if possible - could you give a general sense of how much you use of various ingredients even in recipes that are quite flexible? Approximations would be fine, but sometimes I can't really tell from the photos how much to use of a particular thing, and I don't want to mess up the proportions. Keep up the good work, please - I read you every day.
lleblanc_nd said…
Congratulations on your blog anniversary! I love reading it all. We have a Samoyed, so love to hear about Teddy. Love the step-by-step recipes. I live in North Dakota, so enjoy the posts on your garden and side trips. It's great that you feed the shelter folks; I am sure it brightened their days this winter. Take care.

Lorraine
Margaret said…
Please don't change a thing. I love your blog. I have learned from it so much! I love seeing Teddy, your beautiful home, amazing trips, recipes and I love hearing what you pepare for the shelter. Plus I love seeing all your collections. Hugs! Maggie
WendyFromNY said…
Like everyone else, I like the variety of your blogs. I enjoy your love of the Halloween season. Your recipes. I enjoy hearing about what you're making for the Shelter. I get my mind blown over the quantities of the food you make for the Shelter! I like the trips. Teddy's activities, or lack thereof! Seeing your beautiful gardens in the summertime. I also come back to your blog multiple times daily because I like to follow the blogs you follow! You have picked some interesting ones. But I never comment and I don't blog myself. So there you go! You asked for it, you got it!

P.S. I think Christer is angling for some of that maple
cream! Just sayin'...


Barb said…
I pretty much enjoy everything you blog about. You do great road trips, yummy recipes, and of course I love all the Fall stuff. Just keep on blogging. Oh, I almost forgot, I love seeing Teddy and her adventures!
Guillaume said…
Oh I love butter!
Guillaume said…
I mean I love maple syrup butter!
TARYTERRE said…
I look forward to reading your blog everyday. Keep doing what you're doing. I LOVE it.
linda said…
I have been reading your blog for years... Made many of your recipes and feel you are such an inspiration to many of us. Love to watch your travel adventures, your garden and cooking skills... I would like to pin more and be able to print them out from your blog....You are such a fun person I would love to be your neighbor for just one holiday. Lol. wish you sold your cookies on ebay too... I never know how on earth you get the energy to do all you do each and every day.
Jan said…
I recently discovered your blog and I love it. I wouldn't change a thing.
Joyce F said…
Echoing the comments above. I think your blog is a perfect mix of Teddy, your cooking/recipes for both your family and the shelter, your gardens, your trips, your shopping finds.... Hope to be reading your blog for many more years from here in (warmer) Kansas
gloriahanaway said…
So sorry Teddy! You're a girl, not a boy! This is why I don't leave comments but I love your blog and read every day! Thank you so much for sharing your life and recipes.
Unknown said…
I've been reading your wonderful blog for about 4yrs now but haven't commented before. Love the road trips & your home. The cooking is so inspiring even if we cant get some ingredients in New Zealand. Love Teddy even so I'm a cat owner. (my cat is a 22yr grumpy three legged moggie called Basil) Basically just love your blog.
Herbalgirl said…
I love everything but your road trips are particularly wonderful. I still await a photo of YOU!! I need to see a person so I can connect this with a real human. :)
Unknown said…
I adore everything about your blog! I am so curious to know more about your background - would love to know more about you personally - how you came to do so much traveling, how you became interested in your witches and "dabbling", where were you born and raised, what is your family background, etc. Cherry on top would be a picture of you!
Anonymous said…
I too, love everything from recipes to Teddy. To your trips and walks in your garden. I go to your blog first thing every morning. Congrads on 7 years of blogging! What a great milestone!
Hugs and Sparkles
Alicia
Cynthia R. said…
You have such a wonderful blog and I love reading it so much. I enjoy all of your posts. Love your road trips and the pictures of the Blog Tech (he's such a good sport) And the recipes Oh My so yummy. Everyone I have made has been so good. The one I cooked with the pork loin, was so delicious. I told my husband no wonder the guys at the shelter get so excited when they see Joyce coming with all that food. Thank you for giving so much of yourself.
GOTHAM239 said…
You are my go-to blog! We have so much in common and items around the house in common. I LOVE to read about....Teddy! The recipes. The trips. Your kitchen...I always get a thrill seeing you cook in your Le Creuset, your black Le Creuset....which I covet! The Witches!! I devour that! Halloween, Autumn/Fall, SALEM! I love everything about you, your family and your blog. I look forward everyday to read and to be inspire. Congratulations on your 7 yrs and many, many more!

Eva
GOTHAM239 said…
You are my go-to blog! We have so much in common and items around the house in common. I LOVE to read about....Teddy! The recipes. The trips. Your kitchen...I always get a thrill seeing you cook in your Le Creuset, your black Le Creuset....which I covet! The Witches!! I devour that! Halloween, Autumn/Fall, SALEM! I love everything about you, your family and your blog. I look forward everyday to read and to be inspire. Congratulations on your 7 yrs and many, many more!

Eva
Sandy said…
I am a quilter and follow a lot of those blogs. I don't remember how I came across your blog, but I have been following for a good year now. I love your recipe sharing and have made quite a few...and quite a few are waiting too! I enjoy hearing about the shelter cooking, your adventures and of course Teddy...such a cutie. Keep up the good work. I think we like it all.
Unknown said…
I love all your posts but I enjoy hearing about your gardening as much as your cooking!
Nancy B said…
I have been reading your blog since last summer, when my mum found you and passed along the link to me. Her early morning routine was to wake up, feed her yellow lab Rookie, and take her coffee down to the computer in "the study" to peruse her favorite blogs. October Farm was a particular favorite of hers. We live in different states, but we would chat by phone or email about your blog, and how much she loved your recipes, your garden, Teddy and your day trips. She passed away very suddenly in January, and I am heartbroken. I continue to wake up, feed my dogs, get my coffee, sit down to my laptop and read October Farm first, but our conversation about your wonderful blog now takes place only in my memories and in my prayers. You gave her, an anonymous reader, a lot of joy, and I appreciate that.
Unknown said…
I have followed your blog for a couple of years now and enjoy it tremendously! Never a dull moment with you it seems. I'm not much of a commentor as I have just started blogging myself and don't quite have the hang of it yet but I'm so glad to have the opportunity now to really thank you for all the time and effort you put into sharing all things you blog about. You are truly a person to aspire to! The only thing I would really like to get an answer from you about is, what the heck kind of vitamins do you take? Cuz I'm definitely buying some if it would help me accomplish even a quarter of what you do!! Thanks much :) Teresa at Cottagelodge.net
Teacats said…
Love your blog and your dearest heart, hearth and home .... and Teddy, too! Another one who adores all of your décor and garden ideas -- especially your garden shed! Brightest Blessings to you and thanks for all of your hard work!

Jan at Rosemary Cottage
I like your mix. You mix it up and that's a good thing. I read everyone's posts but because I work full time and I have things to do when I come home I can't always take the time to comment I try to comment on the blogs I follow at least once a week.
Heather said…
I'm not much of a commenter, but I've been a reader for a couple years. I think back when you were doing some giveaways, is how I found you. I love your recipes, and I love hearing about you cook for the shelter.
jody said…
Love everything you blog about! Soon we will be touring your gardens with Teddy!
Jamie. said…
Wow, thanks for the recipe I can't wait to try it! I love homemade breads :)
I'm a new follower, so far I LOVE your posts, I've been wanting to go to Vermont for a while now, someday I'll make it. :)

chickpea678 said…
Wow, that's amazing you've blogged for 7 years! I read your because it inspires me: the recipes inspire me to enjoy daily cooking; the beautiful garden tours inspire me to make life beautiful; your straight forwardness and humor inspire me to keep it real; your passion for what you choose in the world whether it's sugar shacks, homeless shelters or world breads inspire dedication and zest. Thank you for sharing!
luckybunny said…
Well I love the blog because I love you, now. But before knowing you, and still now, it's the recipes I love, the pictures of Teddy, your cooking, your beautiful garden, and even the day trips. I enjoy anything you write about. I love seeing your home and a taste of how you live, and your recipes are always amazing as is your work for the shelter. But aside from that, getting to know you, I'd probably read about anything you wanted to write! :)
luckybunny said…
OH and the bread looks amazing and maple cream is one of my favorite things in the whole entire world!