Doughnuts, doughnuts, and more doughnuts!

Doughnuts. They could possibly be one of the best foods ever invented. I mean, who doesn't love fried dough covered in sugary glaze, chocolate, powdered sugar or filled with cream or berry filling? Now I will go ahead and say that these doughnuts are not as good as Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme, but for a quick doughnut recipe they were pretty darn good! I had seen this recipe a while back on Everyday Italian and have been waiting on an excuse to make them. I had intended to make them and submit them as an entry for a doughnut blogging event that was hosted recently, but sadly I have been so busy and have barely had time to cook. But I decided to make them as a special treat this weekend while my sister was visiting. We both agreed the cinnamon sugar doughnuts were our favorite followed by the powdered sugar and then the doughnut holes. The glazed ones didn't turn out so great. They were a bit soggy. I had planned on doing chocolate ones as well, but we had a sudden power outage just as I finished frying up the doughnuts so I couldn't melt my chocolate. I think the chocolate would have been great, too. If you're looking for a quick sweet treat, give these a shot. But be warned, you'll probably eat them all just like we did.

Italian Doughnuts

Vegetable oil, for frying
Olive oil, for frying
1 pound prepared pizza dough
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamonPour equal parts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a floured 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out doughnut rounds. Using a floured 1-inch cookie cutter, cut out a hole in the center of each doughnut. Gather the dough scraps and re-roll to cut out more doughnuts.

Whisk the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl to blend. Set the cinnamon-sugar aside.

When the oil is hot, working in batches, fry the doughnuts until they puff but are still pale, about 45 seconds per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the doughnuts to paper towels to drain. Cool slightly. While the doughnuts are still warm, add to the bowl with cinnamon-sugar and generously coat each 2 times with the cinnamon-sugar. Serve warm.

*Alternately, cool the fried doughnuts to room temperature. Stir 3 ounces milk chocolate and 1/4 cup whipping cream in a heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat until the chocolate melts. Set aside until the chocolate sauce comes to room temperature but does not set. Dip 1 side of each doughnut into the chocolate mixture. Sprinkle with finely chopped toasted almonds or crushed espresso beans and set aside until the chocolate is set.

Other variations I made...

Powdered Sugar Donuts

Glazed Doughnuts-I used a simple glaze of milk and powdered sugar for these.

Doughnut holes-Couldn't waste any of that dough!

My Husband is Right

My husband is right...I don't say that too often, but in this case he is. He tells me all the time that I am spoiled because I always end up getting all these fun, new kitchen gadgets that I want. But I don't think that's any different than him getting every new power tool or electronic gadget that comes out. And besides, I'm much more likely to use my kitchen tools for many more years than he'll use the things he buys. But anyway, back to me being spoiled. I realized today that I really am. I wanted to make some muffins to have for breakfast this week. I was all prepared with my recipe, and then I realized the bowl for my KitchenAid mixer was in the dishwasher (which I had just turned on by the way) along with my food chopper that I was going to use to chop some pecans, and my mandoline that I needed to shred my apples! All things I *needed* to make my recipe! At first I was disappointed because, being spoiled as I am, I couldn't figure out how I was going to make my muffins without my favorite kitchen gadgets. But then a little common sense finally kicked in. I realized that I still do have a hand mixer in the drawer, long forgotten since I got my stand mixer. I also have a hand grater in the drawer that I never use anymore, and as for chopping the pecans, well a plastic baggy and a heavy rolling pin works well for that. So I ended up making my muffins anyway and they turned out to be so delicious. Even my husband liked them and he is not into anything remotely healthy. Thanks to Elly over at Elly Says Opa for the recipe! I had to make some alterations to the recipe based on what I had on hand and I used a little different ratio of whole wheat to all purpose flour. Check out Elly's blog for the original recipe along with her other variations of the healthy muffin recipe.

Healthy Apple Muffins

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 egg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (or vegetable oil, if you're not calorie counting)
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk (I subbed 3/4 cup milk with 1 tsp lemon juice)
1 cup shredded apple (1 large apple)
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400 and grease a 12-cup muffin tin. Sift together flours, baking powder and soda, salt and spices.

In a seprarate bowl, beat egg with brown sugar until well combined. Stir in vanilla, buttermilk, applesauce and shredded apple.

Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in nuts.

Pour mixture into muffin cups and bake approximately 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

The Breakfast of Champions

I love days when I actually have time to make breakfast instead of just heating up some instant oatmeal or eating a bowl of cold cereal. Everyone knows the breakfast foods that you actually have to cook are so much better than ready made foods. Homemade waffles, pancakes, biscuits, hashbrowns....mmm. Can you tell I'm big on breakfast? Another one of my favorite breakfast foods, or actually anytime foods, is the omelet. You can pretty much add anything you like to it from ham to veggies to various cheeses. The only problem I have with the omelet is that I can never get it to flip right. It never looks as pretty as it does at a restaurant when you go out for breakfast or brunch. But whatever, it still tastes good which is what really matters. And if all else fails, you can have scrambled eggs with stuff mixed in. : ) Today I decided to use up some of the veggies in my fridge and came up with this. Delicious!


Three Egg Garden Omelet

3 whole eggs
2 Tbsp milk or cream
1 Tbsp each finely chopped green bell pepper, red bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms
2 Tbsp shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for the top if you like
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

Whisk eggs, milk, and all veggies in a bowl. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Let it cook for about 2 minutes until the edges start to look done. Sprinkle the cheese over the omelet. Test the edges with a spatula to see if the omelet is ready to flip. When ready, fold each side of the omelet to the middle and cook another minute or so. Top with additional cheese and veggies if desired.

A Great Anytime Smoothie

Since I'm trying to eat healthier lately, I've really been trying to incorporate more fruit into my diet. But I often get bored just snacking on an apple or banana. While I was sitting at home this morning I started thinking about what I wanted for lunch. I didn't want a salad or sandwich, and I don't have any leftovers in the fridge so I decided to make myself a smoothie. I had a couple bananas quickly turning on the counter so I decided to use one of those. I also had a variety of fat free yogurt flavors in the fridge. So this is what I came up with. It was so delicious, very filling and under 300 calories. This would a great smoothie for breakfast or a snack as well.

By the way, I just realized, this is my 100th post!!

Banana Peach Smoothie

1 small banana
1 6 oz container fat free peach yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup ice
1 Tbsp whipped topping

Break the banana into chunks and place in a blender. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until the ice is crushed and all ingredients are combined. Pour into a glass and top with a dollop of whipped topping if desired.

A Yummy Find at Williams-Sonoma

I got a few gift cards this year for Christmas, which I love because then I can go after the holidays are over, shop, and it's like Christmas all over again. Among the gift cards I got this year, were two to Williams-Sonoma. One of my favorite places to browse, but not always purchase from because they tend to be a bit pricey. I often drool over certain items online but can never justify spending so much money on some of the items. Well the good thing about gift cards is you can buy the items you've been drooling over without the guilt because it's not your money you're spending. : )

So I went to Williams-Sonoma with my husband a few days ago, gift cards in hand, prepared to buy something, anything, but exactly what I didn't know. See, that's the problem with gift cards. It gives you endless options which can make for a tough decision. I told my husband not to rush me because I wanted to decide on the perfect gift for myself. Well, he was in the store five minutes and had already found something he wanted. This caramel apple waffle and pancake mix. And, it was on sale. I'm guessing it might be a seasonal item so I told him I'd go ahead and buy it for him with my gift card. ; )

We actually decided to have these waffles for dinner tonight. They were very delicious, a wise purchase by my husband. They have a caramely, cinnamony flavor and little chunks of apple throughout the mix. I had mine with warm syrup and pecans on top. Yummy!


In case you're wondering, I decided on this 8 qt multi pot with pasta insert and steamer basket. I figured it was something I could use for many different things and also something I most likely wouldn't go out and buy for myself. Yes, a very practical gift. : P

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins

When it comes to breakfast, I'm a muffin kind of girl. I love just about all breakfast type foods, but muffins are at the top of my list of favorites. I decided today I wanted to bake some muffins to have for a quick breakfast this week. I knew I wanted to make something with oats, but wasn't sure what kind I wanted to bake. I finally came across this recipe and decided to go with it. It turned out very good! Not too sweet and very moist. Perfect for a breakfast muffin. I think this will be a keeper for me as far as basic muffin recipes go. It's a very versatile recipe. Other things I think would be good for add ins are chopped apples, cranberries, chopped pecans, bananas, or chocolate chips. I can't wait to have one in the morning with my coffee!


Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins

• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup buttermilk (I used 1 cup whole milk with 1 tsp lemon juice mixed in)
  
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

* I also added 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp ground cinnamon.

In a bowl, soak oats in buttermilk for 15 minutes. Stir in egg, sugar and oil (and vanilla). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and sal, (and cinnamon); stir into oat mixture just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 16-18 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Source: All Recipes

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I had about half a can of pumpkin leftover in the fridge from when I made scones earlier in the week. Well I didn't want it to go to waste, so I had to come up with something to make with it. I thought about cookies or bread, but then settled on muffins. My family is coming for the weekend so I thought I'd bake the muffins to have for breakfast while they're here, along with some banana bread. So I skipped cooking dinner tonight and started baking. These muffins turned out so moist and delicious! I made a few changes to the recipe based on what I had on hand and they were still great.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves(omitted)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (omitted)
  
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

*I added 1/4 tsp ground ginger and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.
2. Mix sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In separate bowl mix together the baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt.. Add wet mixture and stir in chocolate chips.
3. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

Original Source: All Recipes

Pumpkin, Puppies, and a PSA

I woke up to a beautiful, sunny Fall day here in Alabama this morning. There was a slight chill and breeze in the air. The perfect day for taking a walk, making a pot of coffee, and of course baking. I have been wanting to make my first pumpkin baked good of the season and figured today was as good a day as any to do that. There's a recipe for pumpkin scones that I've seen floating around several blogs lately that I thought looked really great. I had never made scones, so decided I'd give that a shot. Of course I had my two best helpers in the kitchen with me this morning; my dogs, Tag and Riley. And while they don't really help, they love to be wherever I am and are great company. They love to watch while I'm cooking or baking in hopes that they'll get a little taste. : )

I have to say, this recipe was really easy. So don't be afraid to try this if you've never made scones before. They turned out so tasty, too!



Pumpkin Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup white chocolate chips (optional) (I omitted these)
1/3 cup buttermilk (I didn't have any so used 1/3 cup milk mixed with 1 tsp lemon juice)
½ cup pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the egg wash:
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk or cream


Preheat the oven to 400° and place a rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Stir in the chopped white chocolate. In a separate bowl mix together the buttermilk, pumpkin and vanilla, and then add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Mix just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round. Cut the circle into six equal triangles. Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash.

Place the baking sheet inside another baking sheet to prevent the bottoms of the scones from over browning. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Makes 6 scones.

*I made 8 scones from this recipe

Original Source: The Joy of Baking


I thought I'd add this in here too as a PSA. Last night my best friend and I were out and about and stopped at Target. I found these on sale 2 for $1 in the dollar bins and bought six. At my store they had cream and a rust color. If you're in need of some ramekins, check out your local Target.

Belgian Waffles

When you get married in the south, you almost always receive a cookbook from the ladies in your church. I guess it's their way of giving you your first tool for becoming a good wife and cook. It's usually a collection of recipes from the ladies in the church, with all the dishes you'd see at any southern church fellowship. Macaroni and cheese, chicken and dumplings, various casseroles and salads, pecan pie, peach cobbler...There are many tried and true southern recipes in those cookbooks. Well when I got married, I too, got my little cookbook. And until today, I have never actually used it. But I remembered seeing a waffle recipe in the back of the cookbook and thought I'd give it a try.

My husband has been asking for Belgian waffles ever since we got back from Destin, FL where we ate at the Donut Hole for breakfast. With our anniversary coming up on the 25th, I thought I'd be a good wife and make him some for breakfast today. So I went out and bought a waffle maker and found a recipe. These turned out very delicious for a basic waffle recipe. I can't wait to experiment with other flavors though.

Meg's Perfect Every Time Waffles

2 cups self rising flour
1 3/4 cup whole milk
2 tsp sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla

Begin by separating the eggs. Beat the whites until stiff. Set aside. Beat yolks in a separate bowl with milk and oil. Mix in sugar and vanilla. Add flour and mix until smooth. Lightly fold in egg whites until combined (do not beat). Pour 3/4 cup batter onto the waffle iron and bake as directed.

*It took about 4 min on my waffle iron for a light brown waffle.

Original Source: Heavenly Delights-Gray Hill Baptist Church Cookbook

Breakfast for Dinner

Breakfast foods are probably some of my favorite foods and some days there's nothing better than breakfast for dinner. Ever since we went on vacation a few weeks ago and I had the best sweet potato pancakes ever, I have been wanting to try and make them at home. I was planning on saving this for a weekend morning but thought it would be a great dinner too. So tonight was my first attempt at sweet potato pancakes and I'm happy to say they turned out so well! I will go ahead and confess that I used Bisquick for the pancake batter. I used to only make homemade pancakes, but they never turned out any better than when I used a baking mix so I switched back. I had read several different recipes online, all different, and finally decided to just come up with my own. At any rate they were very light and fluffy and not overly sweet potato-y. Very delicious! We had these tonight with smoked sausage links and warm maple syrup.


Sweet Potato Pancakes

2 cups baking mix like Bisquick
1 3/4 cup milk
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 small sweet potato, cooked and pureed
cooking spray

Combine baking mix, cinnamon, and sugar in a bowl. Add milk, eggs, melted butter and pureed sweet potato. Stir until batter is mostly smooth. Heat a grill pan (or skillet) over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Pour batter onto hot grill pan. When the batter starts to bubble, flip the pancake over and cook on the other side until golden brown. It only takes about 35 seconds per side depending on how hot your pan is. Repeat for desired number of pancakes. This recipe makes about 10-12 large pancakes. Serve with warm maple syrup.

*I baked the sweet potato wrapped in foil at 425 degrees for about an hour and 15 min. I refrigerated it over night until I was ready to use it tonight and then pureed it.
*Next time I make these I'd like to add some toasted, chopped pecans to the batter. I think they would be even better with that addition.

Strawberry Banana Yogurt Smoothie

When I woke up this morning I didn't want my usual oatmeal or cereal for breakfast. Then I remembered I still had a few strawberries left in the fridge and some ripe bananas that needed using. So I came up with this. Very refreshing!




Strawberry Banana Yogurt Smoothie

3-4 strawberries, chopped
1 small, ripe banana, cut into chunks
1 6 oz container fat free strawberry banana yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup ice
1 Tbsp honey

Place strawberries, banana, yogurt, ice, and honey in a blender. Pour milk over ingredients and blend for about a minute or until all ingredients are combined.