AFC Maple English Muffin Croutons

A great-tasting and great-textured crouton. Sweet, salty, peppery and eggy! Use over salads, in soups or as a delicious snack. You may think of other uses. Experiment!

Makes about 2 cups

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

2 English muffins – stack evenly, then cut down from top using 7 even cuts, keeping the muffin in place, then turn muffins and cut crosswise the same number of cuts down from the top to make cubes

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1 T. sugar

1/2 t. salt

fresh grind black pepper to taste

1 t. garlic powder

couple twists of Black Himalayan salt (for egg flavor) – don’t overdo it, a little goes a long way flavor-wise and salt-wise

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3 T. Grade A maple syrup

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Place cooling rack over baking sheet.

Arrange English muffin cubes on rack a distance apart.

Bake in preheated 300 degree oven about 20 minutes or till they are totally crisp – inside and out. Taste to be sure.

Remove from oven.

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In large bowl combine sugar, salt, garlic powder and Black Himalayan salt. Shake bowl, to evenly disperse ingredients.

Place baked croutons in bowl, while till hot, and flip, using wrist action, to coat evenly.

Push the croutons aside. Add maple syrup to the bowl, not on the croutons.

Using spoon, start stirring to coat croutons with the maple syrup. Keep stirring again and again, up and down and over and around. Sit down if you want and do it from there. Eventually all surfaces will be coated – you can tell by the even-colored cubes.

• If you’re tempted to use more maple syrup, don’t. It will be too much and they’ll become sticky and drippy.
• We make the cubes fairly small to make coating easier.

When you’re done, you should be able to pick up a cube without any drips, or near-drips.

Transfer to uncovered container till ready to use.

Notes: I make what I’m going to use. Obviously you’ll make less if topping a salad or soup. If serving as a snack, you’ll need more muffins. Double, triple or quadruple the recipe.

We use English muffin for their density. They hold up well when baked and tossed and have a great chew when eaten.

Black Himalayan salt adds to the overall flavor achievement. If you don’t have it don’t worry. Use regular salt. They’ll still be good.

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