doughnuts

Apple Cinnamon Doughnuts

27.01.2012 55 Comments

Soft, fragrant, pillowy morsels of dough encasing a cinnamon scented ring of apple goodness. Apple Cinnamon Doughnuts. These will make you turn into the worst poet. Granted. But oh sweetness, they are worth losing a rhyme or two over.

Forgive me if it sounds like my mind has been lost to a wonderful piece of apple cinnamon doughnut. Truth be told, I have had much less than my usual four hours of sleep these past few days and well, it does not bode well for articulated posts and inspiring poetry.

It does however create the perfect occasion to head to the kitchen for a cup of hot cocoa and a couple of piping hot apple doughnuts rolled into cinnamon sugar. Comforting warm doughnuts to cover up a mid afternoon slump of my eyelids on the keyboard. That, and a hug from my mother and I am good to go for another 8 hours.

It’s fun and strange to have my parents visit while B. and I are both busy with work and life but we do find some time to cook and hang out or listen to some jazz by going to see my husband play with his band. I always have a super soft spot seeing my mother beaming with pride when her son-in-law grabs his trombone and start playing her favorite tune.

What’s that got to do with apple doughnuts? Nothing and a lot. All sorts of fuzzies in the heart. A huge sense of now becoming the adult I knew I could be in the eyes of my parents. The simple fact of spending an entire day on a shoot and coming home to warm "Bonjour! Comment ca c’est passé la journée?" (Hello! How did your day go) in a language I now only hear when I call home.

The simplicity of making dough and letting it rise. Taking the time to have a cup of tea with my parents while we make plan for the next day and my head is nothing but a vast juggling act of lists and deadlines.

These apple doughnuts are so good we have deemed them "inhalable". If you need a fix, just hover over a plate of these and the world will instantly slow down and be kinder to you. If I had thought this through a little bit better, I would have made a batch and parked in the freezer. There will be some much needed inhalably inhalable moments in the next few days. And I fear less recipes to be posted. Trust me I’ll be cooking though!

I am putting the whole family in the car for a drive to Birmingham, Alabama where I am speaking at Food Blog South. There won’t be much time for sight seeing but I am honored they asked me to speak on a panel and would not miss this for the world (great chance to catch up with close blogging friends too). We have to head back here right after my session on Saturday so I have Sunday to prep for work.

I am thrilled to be photographing the cookbook "Marmalade" by Elizabeth Field (Running Press) all through next week! You should have seen my parents eyes lit up when I showed them the shot list and recipe list! Seven cases of marmalade of all sorts arrived at the house last week to be photographed as they are as well as used in savory and sweet recipes.

Although I fear there won’t be any recipe post, I will do my best to give you a lay out and various views of how a book shoot shapes up and takes place. I can’t wait to get going. I am still tweaking some ideas for certain shots but that’s just part of the excitement! Already went through the production part with kitchen assistants and now I am just picking out props, linens and surfaces for the shoot.

If only I could let my mind rest for a minute before Monday that we start and I will be golden!

Maybe I need a couple more apple doughnuts….

Apple Doughnuts, inspired from Epicurious:

Makes 12 small ones or 6 large ones

Notes: for this recipe, I made one batch with all purpose flour and another batch with a gluten free flour mix and we literally loved both. The original recipe called for 6 slices whole Granny Smith apple (not cored or peeled) but I used 12 slices of tiny Lady Apples I had. They were the perfect size for a small treat while packing a ton of flavor. I don’t deep fry but I use a deep cast iron skillet and it works perfectly

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1.5 tablespoons lukewarm water
1/2 cup (125ml) lukewarm milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
50g unsalted butter, melted
2 1/4 cups (335g) Jeanne’s gluten free mix (or same amount all purpose flour)
2 eggs
juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 slices mini Lady Apples
canola oil for frying

Directions:
Place the yeast, water, milk and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and set aside in a warm place for about 10 minutes or until the surface is frothy and bubbling.
Add the butter, flour, eggs and another tablespoon sugar to the yeast and use the paddle attachment to mix until you get a sticky dough.
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and need for a minute. Oil the inside of a large bowl with a little vegetable or canola oil (with pastry brush or paper towel), cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place, free from drafts until the dough has doubled in size.

Place the remaining sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and apple slices in a large bowl and toss the apple to coat them well.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes. Divide the dough in half and roll each to about 1/4 -inch thick. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut rounds of dough throughout. Place one apple slice in the middle of one. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paperand set to the side.
Roll out the other half of the dough and proceed to cut same amount of rounds from that one. Top each apple slice with a piece of dough (from second batch) and pinch the edges to seal tight. Cut a small hole through the middle with another small cookie cutter (found that bottle tops are the perfect size).
Leave the doughnuts on the cookie sheet until they rise again for another 30 minutes.
Heat up the oil to 350F and fry in small batches for about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Dust with some sugar mixed with a pinch of cinnamon and eat fast…!

Gluten Free Candy Filled Chocolate Cake Doughnuts

29.10.2010 46 Comments

Despite seeing it on the store shelves since late August, I resisted getting candy for Halloween until yesterday. For once, that’s kind of how my stubborn mind works. The more commercial a holiday gets, the longer I’ll resist buying into it, and it was not until B. gave me a friendly hint that maybe we should stock up for trick or treaters, that I finally started seeing the displays at the store. However, I had a better reason for waiting to be closer to Halloween: Lara's Candy Filled Doughnuts. Oh yes.

If I make cookies, they disappear as if a tornado went through the kitchen. If I get Halloween candy a week before the due date, I keep finding little gold and silver wrappers in his pockets for seven days straight. The man cannot be left alone with food. I count my blessings that he can’t cook but knows how to eat. I also love when he gets involved and excited about baking something even if I know I’ll be the one at the stove.

Nothing warms my heart more than seeing people get excited about food even if they feel or are clueless about putting it together. I know we will have a good time in the kitchen or at the dinner table ultimately. It did not fail when I saw B. huntched over Lara’s book letting out some "ooohs" and "aaaaahhs" with almost every turn of the page. Then he got quiet. Pages were not being turned. He gave me a look so meaningful I thought he was going to start his sentence with "mom, can I have that?"

Yep, at the sight of Candy Filled Chocolate Cake Doughnuts, this grown up guy was 6 years old again. Very relieved to hear his deep ~~sexy~~ adult voice "hon, isn’t it time for Halloween candy?" You know the old complaint "it’s not what you said, it’s how you said it"? Yay…I totally knew what he was up to. I said "give me the book – Give me the book now – you can’t look at the book. You’re making me crazy." And then he gave me that look again and I melted. Again. Damn he’s good! So I told him to pick one and stick to it.

This recipe is so easy to put together and so timely if you want to play with some of your extra candy. If that ever happens to you that is. I had to hide a handful to make sure I’d have something to post! I made the dough the night before which always makes it easier to roll, gluten free or not and had enough to make 15 doughnut holes filled with various candies and 4 doughnut rings. I want to make a full batch of dipped cake ones now. Forever. Well, only if it involves salted butter caramel icing.

Lara…dear…you did again. And we could not be happier…!

Public Service Announcement: a while back, my friend Rachael from Today’s Mama and the nice folks at Avery asked me if I wanted to contribute a design to their "back to school" binder initiative with pictures of mine for the cover and back. Unless, it’s a doughnut Rachael asks me for, I pretty much melt when she talks to me. She’s hot. Strong. Nice and her schedule really makes me look like a lazy bum. Anyway… Avery and Today’s Mama are running a follow up campaign and giving away 10 binder certificate for you to create your own. It’s super easy and fun…and a neat way to keep things organize. More details on Today’s Mama.

Gluten Free Candy Filled Chocolate Cake Doughnuts:

2 cups Gluten Free Baking Mix for Doughnuts (recipe follows)
1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon guar gum
1 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 unsalted butter, cold and cut into small dice
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2/3 cup milk, scalded and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
vegetable oil for frying
your favorite candy (cut smaller if too big)
extra sugar and cocoa powder for dusting if desired

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the baking mix, cocoa powder, guar gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Blend on low and add the butter still on low speed, blending until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks, yogurt, milk and vanilla. With the mixer running on slow, slowly pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides and mix for 30 seconds. The batter should be similar to loose cookie dough. Let rest 30 minutes (I like overnight) (stay with me people I am still talking about doughnuts!)
When ready, roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thick and cut out 3-inch rounds with a cookie cutter. Place a candy piece in the middle of the round, bring the edges over toward the top and seal. Roll the dough ball in the palm of your hands and place them on a baking sheet.
Refrigerate 20 minutes. During that time, heat the oil up to 350F.
When ready to roll, gently drop the holes in the hot oil. Fry a couple of minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and dust with sugar and cocoa powder if desired.

For doughnut rings:
Roll the dough and cut holes with a 3-inch cookie cutter then with a smaller cookie cutter to create a hole (I use the opposite end of a pastry tip). Fry as directed above.

For the salted butter caramel sauce:
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 stick (115gr) salted butter at room temperature, cut into small pieces
1 cup heavy whipping cream

In a heavy saucepan set over low heat, combine the sugar and water. Cook just until the sugar is dissolved. Add the butter. Let it come to a boil and cook until it reaches a golden caramel color. Remove from the heat and add the cream ( it will splatter and get crazy). Whisk to combine and put back on the stove. Let it come to a boil again over low heat and cook 15-25 minutes until you reach a creamy consistency.
Let cool. Dunk or double dunk (!) the doughnut.

Gluten Free Doughnut Baking Mix:
Enough for a standard recipe in the book – mix all the ingredients together.

1 cup potato starch
1/4 potato flour or sweet sorghum
1/2 tapioca flour (we don’t like the taste so I used cornstarch)
1/2 cup sweet rice flour

S' Mores Doughnuts

18.10.2010 70 Comments

By the lack of postings one could wonder if I ever came down from the high that BlogHer Food and San Francisco. I did. I actually gave myself one day to catch up and crashed hard on Wednesday evening. Responsibilities hit me up again the following day. I love that work is insane and insanely good. I don’t like that it keeps me away from here this much. I definitely rely on a 4 o’clock break complete with cookies and milk. Or as it was the case this week, doughnuts and hot chocolate!

I am not one to be afraid of deep frying but I certainly am one to shy away from making doughnuts that often. I know I will end up eating too many. Right out of the hot oil. Almost. Perfectly brown. Crisp and soft. Lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar. Simple is always best but there is a place and time to venture out in baking. Especially when it comes to doughnuts. S’Mores Doughnut specifically.

Thanks to Lara Ferroni and her book "Doughnuts: Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home", I only have to sit there and pick the next one. I know for having been part of her testing panel that all the recipes have been seriously and thoroughly discussed, dissected and perfected. I could not have possibly tested them all and started making a list of the ones to bake once her book would be out. S’mores doughnuts of course, but also Apple Cider, Creme Brulees, Sopapillas, Loukoumades, Carrot Cake…there is literally a doughnut and a glaze for every friend you have.

You get it. I liked the book. A lot. The doughs, the glazes, the fillings. The regulars like Basic Raised Yeast doughnuts, the basic cake, the chocolate version. And a impeccable gluten free version. Maple glaze, bourbon, caramel, chocolate. There four pages of these for your belly’s delights. See? Not kidding when I tell you there something for everyone.

If you are into visuals, Lara’s book is truly the proverbial feast for your eyes. And how could it be otherwise with Lara’s talent as a photographer and stylist. Knowing what goes into a shoot when working/acting as a single agent, from the shopping, cooking, styling, photographing, all the way to post processing, you can tell that Lara poured her heart and perfectionism into this book.

It shows. It’s fun, it’s straight foward, it’s generous in details and instructions and it’s quirky at times. Much like Lara…

So far this week, I made the Gluten Free Raised Doughnuts with a citrus glaze and the S’Mores Doughnuts. Wish I had not ran out of gluten free flours when I decided to make these but from the look on B’s face as he chowed through a couple, I know I must make them again this week! Stay tuned for another doughnut post…Both versions of the basic yeasted doughnut were equally easy to work with and very close in texture which is no small order in gluten free baking. That makes me very very happy for the rest of the recipes in the book.

Bravo Lara! Hard work pays off, period. Wishing your book plenty of sweet and delicious success! I am honored everyday by your friendship and generosity.

S’Mores Doughnuts (reprinted with Lara’s permission)

Makes 8 to 12

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
10 graham crackers, finely crushed
2 teaspoons superfine sugar
1 batch Basic Raised dough (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon milk or water
twelve 1-ounce squares milk or dark chocolate
48 mini marshmallows

Stir together 3 tablespoons of the melted butter, graham crackers and sugar. Cover and set aside.

Prepare the dough as directed through the proofing stage. Roll the dough to just a bit more than 1/4 -inch thick. Cut into 3-inch diameter rounds. Roll out half of the rounds to about a 3 1/4-inch diameter. To assemble, lightly brush each wider round with the milk or water and place a square of chocolate and 4 mini marshmallows in the center of each. Top with the smaller rounds and lightly pinch to seal. Then recut with the same cutter to seal the edges.

Fry the doughnuts as directed and let cool for only 3 minutes. Brush each doughnut with a little melted butter, then dip into the graham cracker mixture. Serve immediately.

Basic Raised Dough:

3 tablespoons (22grams) active dry yeast, divided
1 cup of whole milk, heated to 110ºF, divided
2 to 2 1/2 cups bread flour, divided
2 tablespoons (30 grams) superfine sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
½ stick (4 tablespoons / 2 oz) unsalted butter or vegetable shortening
vegetable oil for frying

In a medium bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons of the yeast into ¾ cup of the milk. Add ¾ cup of flour and stir to create a smooth paste. Cover and let rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes.

Combine the remaining milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the rested flour mixture along with the sugar, salt, vanilla, and egg yolks. Mix until smooth. Turn off the mixer and add ½ cup of the remaining flour. Mix on low for about 30 seconds. Add the butter and mix until it becomes incorporated, about 30 seconds. Switch to a dough hook and add more flour, about ¼ cup at a time with the mixer turned off, kneading the dough at medium speed between additions, until the dough pulls completely away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth and not too sticky. It will be very soft and moist, but not so sticky that you can’t roll it out. You may have flour left over. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (and up to 12 hours).

Line a baking sheet with a lightly floured non-terry dish towel. Roll out the dough on a slightly floured surface to ½ inch thick. With a doughnut or cookie cutter (can use a glass, too) cut out 3-inch-diameter rounds with 1-inch-diameter holes (for filled doughnuts, don’t cut out the holes).

Place the doughnuts on the baking sheet at least 1 inch apart and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm spot to proof until they almost double in size, 5 to 20 minutes, testing at five-minute intervals. To test whether the dough is ready, touch lightly with a fingertip. If it springs back immediately, it needs more time. If it springs back slowly, it is ready. If it does not spring back at all, it has overproofed; no worries- you can punch it down and re-roll it once.

While the doughnuts are proofing, heat a heavy-bottomed pot with at least 2 inches of oil until a thermometer registers 360F. With a metal spatula, carefully place the doughnuts in the oil. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on a wire rack over a paper towel, and let cool before glazing.

Disclosure: the book was sent by Lara’s publisher as a thank you for being one of her recipe testers.

Gluten Free Nutella Doughnuts & A Cookbook Giveaway!

24.06.2010 441 Comments

I’m in Utah folks! Got in Salt Lake City yesterday afternoon and I’m heading to The Canyons Resort in Park City Utah where the Evo 10 Conference is held this year. To say that I am honored and stoked is putting it mildly. Yesterday as I was watching my inbox implode in between two planes, I just smiled and thought "breathe – take the travel time as a time out". I am looking forward to this week, complete with the workshop in Boulder. Work does pile up when you can’t look! It’s fine though. It’s actually better than fine. It’s impossible to complain when mixing work and play in such beautiful scenery as the mountains of Utah and Colorado.

Before I left I treated B. to a couple of special treats and of course stocked the fridge and freezer. When I made these Nutella Doughnuts from Lorna’s cookbook, The Newlywed Kitchen, they almost ended up being dinner. We just could not stop eating them. Pop. Pop. Pop. Oops… Tender, moist, tangy and filled with Nutella….the one thing we truly fight over in the kitchen. If you finish the jar and do not replace it, be ready to face a mini temper tantrum. And not necessarily from me…!

Last week I raved about the simplicity of the Parmesan Roasted Asparagus Tomatoes and Eggs I made from her cookbook. Well, let me raved about how spending a little bit of time in front of the stove to fry these babies up was worth it. Ten times that even. The recipe comes together in no time and the size of the doughnuts makes them the perfect little bite to have after dinner or as a treat (but you won’t stop at one, let me tell you that!). The oozing Nutella in the center? Literally the proverbial icing on the cake. Per-fect.

I love drop doughnuts and the simplicity of Lorna’s recipe makes them so easy to adapt gluten free. If you are afraid of deep drying. Fear no more. The temperature given for the oil is right on for these. They turn into perfect airy pockets with a slight tang coming from the ricotta and lemon zest. Love how the Nutella plays so well with the lemon zest. Just the right touch of it too. They are so good plain too. Filled with some strawberry jam I made last month. I even filled some with compote I made after the neighbors gifted me with a basket full of sour apples.

Another successful bite from Lorna’s book! And guess what? Today is your chance to get your hands on a copy to see and taste what I am talking about! That’s right! Lorna is graciously giving away a copy of her book to one of you. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post (anonymous please sign a name) – between today Thursday June 24th and Sunday June 27th, midnight Easter time. A winner will be picked at random from the comment pool by my better half.

While in Salt Lake City I stayed with Maria and Josh, the team behind Two Peas And Their Pod and we are heading together to the conference, meeting up with Kristen, Katie, Amy and a whole bunch of people I’m thrilled to meet for the first time. Since this morning is pretty much the most quiet time I foresee for the rest of the week, I thought I’d post some snapshots of our "Bloggers Meet Up". I’ll try to post snapshots of the conference, attendees and speakers as I go along.

Maria and Christie.
Maria organized a little get together for me and Christie from The Table Runner graciously hosted it at her beautiful home. We spent hours talking about life, blogging, food, kids and so much more. Made me go to bed with a full heart and a skip in my step. Thank you ladies for your generosity!

Group Shot
From left to right: Becky at Project Domestication, Barbara from Barbara Bakes, Maria from Two Peas and Their Pod, Brooke from Cheeky Kitchen, Holly from Phemomenon with baby Kayla, Bonnie from City Home Country Home, Dara from Cookin' Canuck, Becky from The Vintage Mixer and Chrisie from The Table Runner up front.

Dara.

Becky

Jaime from Sophistimom makes the best Italian sodas….

Good luck in Lorna’s cookbook giveaway!

Nutella Doughnuts, courtesy and copyright Lorna Yee from "The Newlywed Kitchen" cookbook.

Makes about 14 doughnuts

Note: to adapt these gluten free, I replace the flour with 1/2 cup superfine sweet rice flour, 1/4 millet, 1/4 cup sorghum flour, and added 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum for a smooth dough.

3 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
8 ounces whole-milk ricotta
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Canola, vegetable, or peanut oil for frying
Powdered sugar for dusting doughnuts
1 cup Nutella

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the eggs, sugar, ricotta, salt, and vanilla extract. Add the flour and baking powder, and mix until just combined.

Heat 3 inches of the oil in a deep pot until it registers 375 degrees F on a deep-fat thermometer. Drop a tablespoon of batter into the oil and cook for about 3 minutes on one side, and 2 minutes on the other side. (Do not make the doughnuts much bigger, as the outside will brown too quickly and they won’t cook through.) Don’t overcrowd the pot–you will probably need to fry the doughnuts in three batches. Cut one doughnut open to make sure it’s cooked through before removing the rest of the batch from the oil. When the doughnuts are cooked, scoop them out and allow them to drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining batter.

Dust the doughnuts with powdered sugar and pipe Nutella into the center of each one. These doughnuts are meant to be devoured warm out of the fryer, so make them just before you’re both ready to eat them.

Variation: Add 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon or orange zest to the dough and fill the doughnuts with your favorite jelly or lemon curd.

Banana Doughnuts With Dried Banana "Streusel"

14.09.2009 98 Comments

Before I tell you all about these delicious Banana Doughnuts, I must announce the winner of the giveaway: "minisuperbias" won "Confections Of A Closet Master Baker" by Gesine Bullock-Prado. Congratulations! Please, email me your mailing address at mytartelette{at}gmail{dot}com and I will get the book in the mail pronto.

Back to the doughnuts. They pretty much made everybody swoon. Granted we did not share but with one neighbor so we can’t really say for sure but we have the feeling they would make people do just that. Or sigh heavily in approval. I did and that is no small feat given my general dislike of bananas. Yes. The only reason why I even buy bananas is because Bill can’t live without.

We are very territorial about our fruits, I have noticed, and have clear favorites. However, he can rest assured that I’ll never have a midnight craving for "la banane". At a rate of a banana a day for him, I tend to buy a bunch for the week to be on the safe side. Well, last week I found myself with 22 of them in the house. Ugh! I got 8, he stopped by the store on his way home and got 8 (hello! He never goes grocery shopping!) and his mother brought 6 huge ones (were on sale – bought too much – dumped them on me). My least favorite fruit! I had to come up with a plan.

I started with an easy and quick dessert, bananas foster. Ok, down to 21. Then we had banana bread. 19. "Mon cheri, eat one please. Right now!". 18. I’m never going to see the end of this, I thought. Oh yes! Skewer 2 more on lollipop sticks, freeze, coat with melted chocolate and eat. 16. Banana sorbet. 14. Can I start breathing again now. Not yet?

At 14 left, I threw my arms up in the air and said "Mon cheri (I promise, start every request with this or"mon amour" works every time), give me some ideas because this is becoming boring." He pondered this for a minute and asked if they could find their way into a doughnut. At this point, I would have come up with anything to get rid of more so "Yes! Brilliant!"…

After tweaking my recipes to make sure I had the right ratio of dry to wet ingredients, I was still down only two more bananas, unless I was ready to make more and stand at the stove frying the entire evening, feeding our neighborhood and the one next to it. I remember Bill mentioning he liked those little streusel pieces on top of certain doughnuts and that’s when the idea of topping the doughnuts with chopped dried bananas came to my mind. Wow! It really made things come together!

The banana flavor in the dough is very subtle and the fruit acts more as a moisture agent than a flavoring. The dried bananas really made it for us. Their smell alone is enough to reconcile me with them. After an hour of drying time, I opened the oven door and did not close it for a few seconds. I was almost paralyzed by the whiff of caramelizing bananas hitting my nose! Amazing! I could eat home dried bananas everyday. Natural chewy candy that makes the house smell absolutely wonderful.

We were then at 11 bananas left. A lot more manageable here, especially if he doubled up on the daily intake!

Banana Doughnuts

Makes about 24

For the doughnuts:
3 to 3 1/2 cups (440gr) all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons (12gr) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (2gr) baking soda
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
2 small bananas, mashed
1/4 cup (55gr) sour cream
canola oil for frying.

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk

For the dried bananas: (best prepared the day before or while the dough is resting)
1 small banana

Prepare the dough:
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt twice and set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and honey for one minute at medium speed, until light and airy. Add the bananas and sour cream and beat until well incorporated. Turn the speed down to low and add the dry ingredients (little by little). The dough will be soft. Transfer to a medium bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
On a well floured board or countertop, roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut rounds either with a 3-inch doughnut cutter or use a 3-inch cookie cutter and a 1-inch small cutter to make the holes in the middle. Reroll the scraps as you go. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes if it starts getting tough as you reroll and cut, to relax the gluten.
In a large cast iron skilet, heat enough oil (2 inches deep or so) to 325F and fry the doughnuts 3 to 4 at a time, 1 to 2 minutes on each side, turning them once. Do not over crowd your skillet or it will drop the temperature of the oil and you will end up with soggy doughnuts. Drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

For the glaze:
In a medium bowl, sift the powdered sugar. Add the milk and whisk until smooth.
Dip the doughnuts into the glaze and let drip on a wire rack set over a piece of parchment paper

For the dried bananas:
Line a baking sheet with either a silicone mat or a piece of parchment paper.
Preheat the oven at 250F and position a rack in the middle.
Slice the bananas in 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick and place them on the baking sheet. Let the banana slices dry in the oven for 2 hours. Let cool. Chop in small pieces.
Scatter the chopped banana slices over the doughnuts after the glaze is applied but before it is completely set so they have time to stick.

Time To Make The Donuts – Second Batch

15.02.2008 23 Comments

Thank you for your patience waiting for the second batch of the round up here. Turns out that even though we tried to split entries and forward to each other the proper ones, Peabody and I had pretty busy schedules this past week and you may find some entries twice or misplaced. The important thing is that we do not forget anybody. If you do not see your post right away, no worries, we are adding and squaring things out over the course of the day. For me that means going back and editing my typos….!

Where was I again? Oh yeah….Doughnuts!!!

Katia from Gourmet Girl makes little fried jewels with these Brandied Apricot Beignets. An extra dose of powdered sugar and we are all screaming for more! Thank you for sharing this with us.

Lynne from And Then I Do The Dishes sent us those mouth watering Dutch Ollie Bollen, ovecoming her fear of doughnuts and frying. Thank you for braving your fear, look at the results and for your patience with the roundup!

Zorra from the always mouth watering 1x umruehren bitte aka kochtopf made us some "Fasnachtschüechli", a typical Swiss Carnival pastry. They remind me of a pastry my grandmother used to make me on Mardis Gras called "ear beignets". They are crsipy and sugary, perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. Thank you for finding the time to make us these!.

Another favorite bread baker of mine, Sandra from Le Petrin in France made traditional Alsatian Beignets, "Fasenachtskiechle". I am glad I begged because they turned out perfect! Hope you get to try these are they are texture perfect.

Pat from Feeding My Enthusiasms goes all out with these Gingerbread Doughnuts with Lemon Curd Filling because you are not likely to find those at a donut shop! Thanks for a mouth watering recipe. I love that they look like they are stiking their tongue at me!

New mom and blogger and talented pastry chef Aran from Cannelle et Vanille makes some of the most incredible doughnuts: Caramelized Banana Beignets with Chocolate Soup. Did I hear you go "hmmhmmhmm"…That’s what I thought! Thanks Aran for your entry!

Lisa from Pittsburgh Needs Eated was among the first ones to send her entry and I started drooling right away! Those Sugar And Spice Doughnuts are sure crowd pleasers! Thank you Lisa!

I may not undestand everything Ile Ghetta Mabel from La Cocina de Ile wrote about but if you were ever wondering how to make a donut take a bath, just look at the pictures! Great post! I love how descriptive and nerve calming it was for frying newbies. Thanks for participating!

Wonderful and talented Anh from Australia at Food Lover’s Journey, makes another one of my favorites with Churros With Dulce De Leche Sauce. Do I hear your stomachs growl? Mine did! Thanks for tempting my tastebuds once more with such a great recipe!

Judy from Judy’s Gross Eats in California makes the fluffiest Beignets Souffles in honor of her mother and her past. That electric skillet was sure put to great use! Thank you for a mouth watering entry!

Joel and Amy from Foodmonkeys happily took out the toolbox and made us a batch of traditional French inspired Beignets. Thanks for sending a dozen to my way (fresh please!)

Marye from Apron Strings And Simmering Things made a full batch of Breakfast Donuts. Perfect cake donuts with coffee, the breakfast of champions! Thanks Marye for an easy and perfect recipe!

Sukanya from Hot N' Sweet Bowl gets creative with pizza dough and makes this colorful arrangements of doughnuts. Thanks for taking part in the event…they sure have some pizaz!!

Soul Sister and future godmother to my next furry and four-legged child, Lisa from La Mia Cucina, makes a fresh batch of Pan-fried Apple Fritters with Apple – Honey Dipping Sauce. Talk about good! Finally my lood pressure is settling down, she had me believe for a second that she may not have time….ahahah!!

Angie from Angie’s Pangies made the traditional Polish Paczki in her bread machine and filled them with jam and lemon curd. Nothing wrong with that! They turned out beautifully and I always love to see a fry-daddy in pictures! Thanks for your creations!

Witty Susan from Food Blogga remembers Dunkin Donuts doughboys and decides to fry up a batch. Not only is her post hilarious (read it out loud) but the resulting Doughboys are mouth waterig! Thanks for making me hold my ribs wishing my screen had a "smell" button available.

Ivy from Kopiaste, To Greek Hospitality makes Akoumia Symiaka, a traditional doughnut made to celebrate all happy occasions. They will make you even happier as they are spiked with Ouzo and coated with either cinnamon sugar or Greek honey. Thank you Ivy for sharing such a fantastic tradition and culture bit!

Dear to my heart Bron from Bron Marshall, Classic and Creative Cuisine, takes fried dough to a whole another level with these Mini Chocolate Matcha Doughnuts. I think they will be made very soon..I can only imagine the flavors! Thanks for taking part with suh a creative entry!

Jaime from Good Eats and Sweet Treats tries her hand at doughnuts for the first time and makes these scrumptious looking Candied Ginger-Orange Cake Doughnuts. No matter what you think Jaie, I think these cake doughnuts look very inspiring. Thanks for trying so many firsts for the event!

Francie from Ramblings of a Frantic Home Cook, recalls her honeymoon and the flavor associated with it in these tender looking Pina Colada Doughnuts. Very creative!

Without even knowing it, Baker Extraordinaire Mary from The Sourdough made one of my childhood favorites : Pets de Nonne – Nun’s Farts. The name alone used to make us giggle as children! But wait…she also made three more types, Paczki, honey and chocolate glazed, and powdered sugar doughnut holes, to accomodate our fancy! Thanks Mary for filling my dreams with so many choices!!

Sweetest Jenny from All Things Edible uses her new sourdough starter Marvin (love the name) to make these wonderful Sourdough Timbits. I can only imagine how flavorful they must be! Thanks for taking part to our little "lust after donut" event!!

Time To Make The Doughnuts – First Batch

15.02.2008 29 Comments

Wow! Wow! May I add Wow?! I had no idea that my innocent email to Peabody reading "Hey! I want to host a doughnut/beignets event and was wondering if you would like to co-host with me?" would be met by so many of you. Last time we counted we had 94 of you wonderful people who made us all kinds of doughy-oily-baked-filled-dipped doughnuts/fritters/beignets…. I want to thank her immensely for being such a great co-host while busy with things of her own. Cheers to you!

I am thrilled to see entries from all over the world showcasing traditional doughnuts (say that 3 times fast) as well as so many of you braving your fear of yeast, oil and other kitchen adventures. Thank you! Thank you! May I add Thank You?!! You made my day, my week, my month…really I am not evil, I just wanted to make sure ya’ll had the opportunity to justify making fried sugar dough in the middle of winter. You all were very giving in your posts, emails and stories and there are so many people, places and things I discovered. Not to mention almost 100 recipes!

Without further ado, here is the first installment of the roundup, in no particular order. Peabody and I split the entries so you might have to go back and forth a little between our blogs. I tried to get it all done in one post but with mom being here, her departing adventures (she is sound and safe in France, finally) and life and work…I have to stop tonight (hmm 3am actually) and I will post the second batch ~~tomorrow~~ today in the afternoon.

Michelle from Culinography makes lovely traditional German jelly filled doughnuts, Berliner Pfannkuchen. Aside from the history tidbits about their origin, I love how the jam oozes from the doughnuts. Thanks for sharing such beautiful treats with us!

You have no idea how happy I am to have Brilynn from Jumbo Empanadas participate in our event. Not only is she a fellow Daring Baker and all over awesome blogger friend but I thought I would have to fly to Canada to make her brave her "no donut" mantra! Her Baked Donuts look wonderful in my eyes, and her post was as hilarious as their odd shapes. Thanks for being here!

Chez Denise Et Laudalino made a traditional doughnut, Malasadas. From the looks of these, I sure could inhale half a dozen of these! Thanks for sharing your story with us!

Theresa at Food Hunter’s Guide To Cuisine takes the event as the perfect excuse to make some fried desserts. These Lemon Ricotta Fritters are full of flavor with rum, chocolate chip, ricotta and lemon. Hmmhmmhmmm!!

Gretchen Noelle from Canela & Comino made these delicious Peruvian Squash Fritters, Picarones. They may not be exactly like the ones found on the street stalls in Peru but I am sure her rendition is just as good. Thanks for sharing a bit of your culture with us!

Caitlin from Engineer Baker makes Baked Doughnuts for the first time for the event… all 3 dozens plus 4 dozen doughnut holes! They look wonderful in their cinnamon sugar blanket and I know a few takers in my neighorhood if you still have some!

Cakelaw from Laws Of the Kitchen makes some scrumptious Apple Cider Donuts that taste as close as the one we can get in the green polka dot shot…Yippee! I love her addition of rhubarb to the batter. Thanks for taking part!

( McCreamy) Ivonne from Cream Puffs In Venice, the "Other Woman" as B. likes to call her (just because one year she made me a cake to seduce me…really…and it looked awesome!), is making my heart skip a beat with these beautiful Crullers all covered with melted chocolate. Thank you my dear friend for satisfying my cravings!

Tanna from My Kitchen In Half Cups is known in our house as the "Bread Elf"…always sneaking up on us with the most delectable bread creations. Now, if she says "brioche" I am there…if she adds "doughnut" I am coming back!! Go check these Brioche Doughnuts!

Ricki from Diet, Dessert and Dogs comes up with the brilliant idea to create Dogels, a cross between a bagel and a doughnut after a couple of failed attempts at baked doughnuts. Thanks for persevering Ricki!

Sabra from Cookbook Catchall makes another one of my favorites, Italian Zeppole. Her beloved version made me think o fried cream puff dough with a little extra: vanilla bean. The dough can e made in 10 minutes, refrigerated and the doughnuts fried fresh. Thanks for revisiting this recipewith us!

Stef from Cupcake Project tries her hand at Doughnut Cupcakes for the first time. They look mighty good all dressed up and glazed! Thank you for participating and I hope you try your hands at more yeasted baked goods!

Allison from Cinnamon Love tempts our tastebuds with Thai Doughnuts dunked in sweetened condensed milk…Sugar, Sugar, tadadadadada…Or is it an excuse to eat more of her favorite food?!! If you decide to make them again with yeast, please let me know, they sound delicious!

Isabel from Isas’s Cooking in Santiago, Chile takes friendship to a new level by making these doughnuts in honor of her friend Igna. Chocolate glazed with dulce de leche and plain ones with raspberry jam to be precise. Thanks for sharing your story with us!

Vegan Superstar, Hannah from Bittersweet found her donut "vertically challenged" and decided to put the to good use in donut sandwiches. How clever! Thanks for finding the time in your busy schedule to participate.

Steph from A Whisk and A Spoon (love that name), tried her hand at a Viennese treat, Spritzkrapfen, also known as Crullers. Moist, tender and glazed with rum. Yum! Thank you, but what are you going to eat after I am done with those three?!!

Lynn from Cookie Baker Lynn makes an old family favorite with these Spudnuts (love that name!) When you realize that the original recipe made 4 dozen doughnuts, I understand her desire to halve the recipe…looks like nothing in lost in reduction however. Thanks Lynn for such beautiful rings of fried dough!

Michelle from Life In The Pink Kitchen, also braves her fear of yeast by producing these gorgeous Dough-Nots…along with a very fun post to read. Thanks Michelle for your adventurous spirit. Your mom can be proud!!

Natalie, fellow sheltie lover and Daring Baker partner, at Gluten A Go Go, always amazes me with her gluten free renditions of baked items and these Chocolate Chestnut Doughnuts are downright a success! Thanks for taking part in our little fry fest!

Dear to my heart Jasmine, from Confessions of a Cardamom Addict made those lovely Dutchies, "the quintessential Canadian doughnut". Better have the fresh from the fryer I am told…She also threatened me with a day old Dutchie bread pudding…I am waiting *tap*tap*tap*(foot stomping). Thanks for spreading the donut love, they are scrumptious!

Coco from Coco Cooks makes a traditional South African favorite, Koesisters, to help us celebrate the fact that there is ne-ver enough donuts in this world! Thanks Courtney for not listening to the little voices inside your head!

Nemmie from Cast Sugar appeals to the historian in me by making these jelly filled doughnuts, Berliner Pfannkuchen. Thank you for those perfect bites of sweetness!!

Karolina at For The Body And Soul keeps true to her New Year’s resolution to cook more Polish food with these gorgeous Paczki enhanced with one of my favorites, rosehip jam. Thanks for sharing a traditional pastry with us!

Arfi from Homemades in New Zealand made one of my favorites, Baked Donuts. Thanks Arfi for watching over our waistlines!

Stephanie from Cupcake My Love sends these original Maple-Glazed Sour Cream Doughnut with Sugared Walnut Streusel. Thanks for braving your fear of yeast, they turned out wonderfully!

SuperMom and blogger Kristen from Dine and Dish, almost forgot to make her donuts but put her bread machine to good use! Seriously folks, how can we say no to such tempting fried rounds? You’re right, we can’t! Thanks Kristen for rushing a few to my house!!

Ulrike from Kuchenlatein in Germany makes a traditional donut called Quark Balls or Quarkbällchen on stormy day! Thanks for warming us up with such a comforting entry!

Laura Rebecca takes pizza dough to another level by frying it and making little donut holes and beautiful glazed donuts. Simple and statisfying Italian donuts! I am thinking those double crust pizza dough recipes have an ulterior motive: frying!

Elly from Elly Says Opa! in Chicago made a traditional Greek fritters, Loukoumades, going past her fear of yeast and frying. Thank you for braving your doughnut demons…the fritters are mouth watering!

Allen from Eating Out Loud is trying to correct my evil ways by making his mom’s baked doughnuts. Sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and good for my waist line? He might make a believer out of me!

Cheryl at Gruel Omelet got a little behind with a bad case of stomach flu, but how could we refuse a basket full of these wonderful Baked Donuts. The toppings are un-healthy enough to make me happy…ahahah!!!

Doughnuts For My Valentine

14.02.2008 56 Comments

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you! Whether you have a special somebody in your life, today is the day to celebrate all lovers out there. We don’t do outrageous things on that day Mr.Tartelette and I, but we do get caught up in all the cutsie cards out there and exchange a couple over the course of the day.

We live down the street from a Krispy Kreme and a Dunkin Donut (I love America!) and when we were driving home from taking mom to the airport yesterday, he turned to me and said "You know that Krispy Kreme came out with a heart donut for Thursday?" Me "Well, that’s nice…" We went back to our thoughts until a couple of minutes later he added "Could you make a copycat if I get you an original to compare?" Me to answer in my best smartie pants tone "If you get an original form the shop, eat it, don’t ask me to make a copycat!" Well, I did anyway, because he is a cool guy! I took out the deep fryer for that and they turned out awesome. He thought they were better than the originals as they did not have that overpowering sugar-oily coating on them.

Well, given the events of last night, I had plenty of time to make one more batch of donuts for our "Time To Make The Doughnuts" round up tomorrow. See, my mother’s flights to Newark then France got cancelled due to bad weather. She got re-routed on another airline through Atlanta. She would have made her connection if the flight out of here had left on time, but they sat on the plane and she got an hour late to Atlanta and no more flight to France. So poor mom found herself stranded overnight in a hotel room by herself. I know she is fine, but she my mom, she’s the bestest and the sweetest in the world….. No change of clothes or toileteries, and a diabetic on a pump. I was screaming in my head!! Her English is allright, she understands faster than she speaks and she has traveled many times but always with my dad or a group. Thankfully she has the kind of personality that makes people be nice and helpful towards her. She has a good aura…

Please, think good thoughts and send good vibes that she gets on that plane this afternoon with all her stuff. When I called my dad last night to tell him, he said "Well, that sucks but the flowers will be ok in water one more day and the bracelet I got her will be here when she get here". Isn’t that sweet?!! When I spoke to her this morning, the only things she was concerned about is that we had gotten some sleep and found the Valentine card she had left for us. Mom, you are the best! I love you and I hope that you and dad get to spend some quality time together, albeit a day later.

See, Valentine’s day is not only about lovers, it’s about fuzzy feelings, families and just good all around feelings. No, we don’t need a special day to hug somebody but it sure is great to be reminded never to take anybody ir anything for granted. We all need a little bang on the head sometimes. There are some special people I am going to think about today, especially the ones who can’t give or receive that special hug and I will keep them in my thoughts and wish that they find peace of heart and mind.

Copycat Krispy Kreme Donuts:

2 pkgs. yeast
1/4 cup water (105-115 degrees)
1-1/2 cups lukewarm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter
5 cups all-purpose flour vegetable oil

Glaze: 1/3 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
4–6 tbl. hot water
colored sprinkles if desired. I asked the cashier to sell me a half coffee cup full of the ones they use on their heart donuts.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in bowl of your stand mixer. Add milk, salt, eggs, butter and 2 cups flour. Beat on low for 30 seconds with the paddle attachment, scraping the bowl if needed. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in remaining flour and mi untilsmooth until smooth. Cover and let rise until double, about an hour. Turn dough onto floured surface and roll dough 1/2-inch thick. Cut with floured doughnut cutter. Cover and let rise until double, 30-40 minutes. Heat vegetable oil in deep fryer to 350 degrees and fry until golden brown, about 1 minute on each side. Remove from the oil and drain them on paper towels for a minute. Dip the doughnuts into the glaze and set them on cooling racks over paper lined baking sheets (easier to clean up).

Glaze:
Heat butter until melted over medium low heat and remove from the stove. Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.

Sufganiyot – Jelly Donuts – Beignets Confiture

05.12.2007 41 Comments

Ah…Christmas…!! If I close my eyes real well and stand in front of the open freezer I can even almost pretend it is cold enough for Christmas. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to spending Christmas in a tee-shirt. Sorry if you are drowning under many inches of snow right now, but I envy you…Really, I do. It’s not cold enough for soup, eggnog and stuffing and the small tree we put on the porch looks slightly out of place.

Proof to this madness: I had to stay home and have a mini baking marathon on saturday and around 5pm, I could not take it anymore and had to crank the AC on again…with the oven and the stove on!! Oh yes, the electricity company loves me!! Last night we decided to pretend it was December and used the fireplace…for a total of an hour because it got so hot. Crazy…

Even crazier, when I decided to help some friends celebrate their tradition and stood in front of burning oil and fried sufganiyot for an hour. When I dropped by C' house with a plate full of them and a bottle of eggnog, it was finally starting to feel like the holiday season. I am not Jewish, but C. is and so are other friends around us and since they make sure to wish us a Merry Christmas, I wanted to make something in their honor during this year’s celebration of Hanukkah. She often mentioned the jelly donuts her mother used to make during this holiday and since a sufganiyah is a donut is a beignet, well there was no way I was going to say no, eheheh!!! Hanukkah,the Festival of Lights, is a celebration of the victory of the Maccabees and the re dedication of the Jerusalem Temple. It also commemorates the miracle of the oil that burned for 8 days. Serving jelly doughnuts at Hanukkah, which are fried in oil symbolizes the miracle of the oil that lasted for eight days instead of one.

There are numerous recipes for them online but I wanted to give dear Ole' Martha one last shot. It’s no secret among the blogging community that we have issues with her recipes as written and we end up tweaking them to make them work. I settled on one of hers for the donuts and from a first glance at it, it seemed that the proportions of liquids to solids might work, so I played along. However, I had serious doubt things would work after mixing the dough as it seemed really really soft. But I trusted Martha and after the first rise, the dough was very supple and yet very easy to roll out and proceed with cutting out the sufganiyot.

I know you can’t tell from the pictures, and that is because I did not have time to take proper shots while the gluttons were devouring these, but they are filled with raspberry jelly. I used a homemade one but feel free to use the one you like. Don’t be afraid of frying either. I do not have a deep fryer so I use a cast iron pan with about 2-3 inches of oil in it. The only thing I have added was a tablespoon of orange flower water to the dough. It makes fried doughs that much better…

It was a pleasure to see C’s and the kids' face when I dropped these off. I shared some eggnog and coffee with them while listening to family stories and traditions. I also enjoyed reading more about this holiday that although not completely foreign to me, had not been explained in details and researching recipes as well as history was a fantastic part of blogging. This is my entry to Meryl’s Joyous Jumble, an event meant to discover other cultures' holidays during the month of December.

Sufganiyot, adapted from Martha Stewart:

Makes 20.

2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water, (100 degrees to 110 degrees)
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, plus more for rolling
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 large eggs
1 Tb. orange flower water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups vegetable oil, plus more for bowl
1 cup seedless raspberry jam

In a small bowl, combine yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.
Place flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the center; add eggs, yeast mixture, orange flower water, 1/4 cup sugar, butter, nutmeg, and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir until a sticky dough forms. On a well-floured work surface, knead until dough is smooth, soft, and bounces back when poked with a finger, about 8 minutes (add more flour if necessary). Place in an oiled bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2-inch-round cutter or drinking glass, cut 20 rounds. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise 15 minutes.
In medium saucepan over medium heat, heat oil until a deep-frying thermometer registers 370 degrees. Using a slotted spoon, carefully slip 4 rounds into oil. Fry until golden, about 40 seconds. Turn doughnuts over; fry until golden on other side, another 40 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Roll in sugar while warm. Fry all dough, and roll in sugar.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a #4 tip with jam. Using a wooden skewer or toothpick, make a hole in the side of each doughnut. Fit the pastry tip into a hole, pipe about 2 teaspoons jam into doughnut. Repeat with remaining doughnuts.

Baked Doughnuts…Baked Goodness

05.09.2007 79 Comments

I know, it seems very strange to put "baked" and "doughnuts" in the same sentence and then expect you to believe me when I say they were good…but they were! But why would I turn a completely good fried piece of Americana into a baked good? Well, for once I was curious to try another recipe after my first success last year. I also have the same reason as last year for trying baked doughnuts yet again. My parents are coming to visit for a while and they love waking up to the scent of nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon….and my dad can’t resist the attraction of a good doughnut. However, they both have health issues that I have to take ito consideration when baking and cooking (heart and diabetes). Thus, the reason why I wanted to make a healthier version, and made this other version as a test run.

Looking online you will find dozens of recipes for baked doughnuts but how would you know if they are any good? Well, first you can always send me an email and I will force myslef to help you out and make a few batches, just to be on the safe side. On a more serious note, among all the interesting recipes I found online, I recognized two bloggers I had already followed in marbled chocolate cake goodness so I felt confident they would not stir me in a bad direction. One thing neither of us will tell you is that they "are exactly like doughnuts". The obvious reason being that they are not frying involved and like my predecessors I went for the cinnamon sugar topping instead of a powdered sugar glaze….sounded lighter. The resulting treats were not as soft and buttery to the mouth as the ones you get at Krispy Kreme for example but they make a good substitute when the craving hits. They are a tad chewier and more like soft pillows of dough but they were quickly devoured by our guests sunday morning, which is always a good sign.

Baked Doughnuts, adapted from this recipe:

1 1/3 cups warm milk, 95 to 105 degrees (divided)
1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
5 cups all-purpose flour
A pinch or two of nutmeg, freshly grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Place 1/3 cup of the warm milk in the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in the yeast and sugar and set aside for five minutes or so to let it proof. Stir the butter into the remaining cup of warm milk and add it to the yeast mixture. With a fork, stir in the eggs, flour, nutmeg, and salt – just until the flour is incorporated. With the dough hook attachment of your mixer beat the dough for a few minutes at medium speed. Adjust the dough texture by adding flour a few tablepsoons at a time or more milk. You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl and eventually become supple and smooth. Turn it out onto a floured counter-top, knead a few times (the dough should be barely sticky), and shape into a ball.
Transfer the dough to a buttered (or oiled) bowl, cover, put in a warm place, and let rise for an hour or until the dough has roughly doubled in size.
Punch down the dough and roll it out 1/2-inch thick on your floured countertop. With a 2-3 inch cookie cutter, stamp out circles in the dough . Transfer the circles to a parchment-lined baking sheet and stamp out the smaller inner circles using a smaller cutter. If you cut the inner holes out any earlier, they become distorted when you attempt to move them. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise for another 45 minutes.
Bake in a 375 degree oven until the bottoms are just golden, 8 to 10 minutes – start checking around 8. While the doughnuts are baking, place the butter in a medium bowl. Place the sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl.
Remove the doughnuts from the oven and let cool for just a minute or two. Dip each one in the melted butter and a quick toss in the sugar bowl. Eat immediately if not sooner.
Makes 1 1/2 – 2 dozen medium doughnuts.

Notes:
– as Heidi suggests, it is best to do them the day you plan on eating them and not too early.
– remove them from the oven before you think they are done, they will continue to bake a little.
– make sure the holes in the middle are cut out pretty big as the donuts contine to rise as they bake and tend to swallow them back.
– you can make your dough, roll and cut out the donuts the night before and let them do their second rising in the fridge, covered. Set them out on the countertop an hour before baking so the yeast can wake up again….and you by the same time.

P.S: Last month I woke up to an early Christmas present: a nice lady named Tammy Wood emailed me with a beautiful collage of my pictures as a banner/header for my blog. She took pity on my attempts at spiffying the blog and "just made it one night"….Turns out she had come here via a common acquaintance, Aimee from Under The High Chair. I was beaming, fidgeting, amazed at her generosity. She is a professional who took the time to help me out, just because….! I quickly put it up and after much internal debate on my part I asked her if it were possible to change the pics to some of my favorites, which she promptly did upon her return from vacation. So peeps, look up, the images are different….I like both but this one is my favorite. Thank you Tammy…It is with people like you that humanity still goes round.