Thanks to Sandi at All Holiday Cafe for reminding me that today is….DONUT DAY! YAY!

As you know, I love donuts, love to make donuts…love to eat them too but they do bad bad things to my thighs.  I try to make them about once a week.

The key  to good donuts is a deep fryer and clean oil.  You can heat the oil on the stove but it doesn’t stay at a consistent temperature like in an electric deep fryer.  Keep the dough soft.  Chill to make it easier to work with..and don’t twist the cutter when you cut, cut straight down.

Some donut recipes I have published here and on Apronstrings and Simmering Things are (as well as a link to Tartelette’s Donut Event where you will find hundreds of recipes):

Banana Donuts 

Breakfast Donuts 

Buttermilk Donuts 

Crullers 

Just like Krispy Kreme 

How to Make Donuts 

Lemon Filled Donuts 

Maple Pecan Donuts 

Rose Scented Donuts

Tartelette’s Donut Event 

Vintage Donuts 

So choose one or two and celebrate donut day in style!

Images Marye Audet 

Post from: Baking Delights

Once a month cooking is a great way to have awesome breakfasts every day!

So by know you all know that I like donuts, right? I mean they show up here pretty regularly.  These are a fantastic variation, just right with a cup of coffee in the morning.

A great way to make donuts ahead of time is to fry them, flash freeze immediately, and the warm in the oven or microwave and add the glaze when serving.  They turn out fresh and delicious that way.  The added benefit is that you can make them on the weekend and have donuts every, single day.  Are you cool or what?

See those pecans? Our property has about thirty native Texas pecan trees.  Every fall we get a ton of tiny, organic pecans, most of which are wormy.But…the ones that are good? They are very VERY good, and I enjoy using this wonderful resource as much as possible!  I am not sure that the kids love cracking them, though.

Try these and let me know what you think.

Maple Pecan Donuts 

4 c  flour
1 c sugar
3/4 c buttermilk
2 eggs
1/4 c melted  butter
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp maple flavoring

2 c chopped pecans
Mix half the flour, sugar, buttermilk, eggs, butter, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flavoring on low speed about a minute until it is  smooth. Stir in rest of flour to make a  soft dough.  Chill one hour.
Roll out 1/4 inch thick and cut with doughnut cutter. Fry in deep oil heated to 370, about 3-4 at a time until golden, flipping once.

Dip  in glaze while warm and then in chopped pecans.

Glaze

2 c confectioners sugar

1 tsp maple flavor

2 tbs melted butter

enough cream to make the right consistency.

Post from: Baking Delights

Since the flood on Tuesday we have had the nicest weather imaginable. It has been sunny, warm, and even the mud has about disappeared. The water brought the grass forth from the earth, and the flowers are beginning to bloom. Everywhere I look I see redbud trees, wild plum, iris, tulips, and other harbingers of warmer weather.

Our hens are determined to sit on their eggs, even though we are not ready for them to begin that yet…The first set of goat kids is here, with the next batch due any day. Spring.

Lemon filled donuts have always been a favorite of mine, topped only by the most magical donut of them all- Bavarian Cream. And there is something about the sunny yellow lemon that always seems very spring-like to me.

These cake donuts are easy to make, taking less than 45 minutes from start to finish. You can top them with a simple confectioner’s glaze, or choose to simply roll them in sugar as I have done. Either way they are a great way to start Easter, with a cup of coffee. You can make them the night before if you wish, and warm them slightly in the microwave to freshen them.

Of course you don’t have to just have them at Easter…Any day will be a bit more special when you start with one of these! If you can east just one….Bet ya can’t, unless it is the only one left.

Lemon Curd Filled Donuts

Old Fashioned Filled Doughnuts

2 eggs

1 c sugar

1 c half and half

4 c flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbs melted butter

Heat oil in deep fryer to 370

Blend dry ingredients, except sugar, in a bowl.

Mix eggs, half and half, extracts, butter and sugar until it forms a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured counter. Roll out about 1/4 inch thick and cut into rounds. Make a depression in the rounds with your thumb and put a tsp of lemon curd in the depressions of half the rounds. Wet edges with a little egg and press one unfilled round on the top of each filled round, pinching the edges securely closed, or crimping with a fork.

Fry at 370 until golden turning once. Drain and sugar.

Lemon Curd

1 1/2 c sugar
4 egg yolks
1 c lemon juice
2 TBS lemon zest

3/4 c unsalted butter

In a microwave safe bowl whisk egg yolks, sugar, juice, and zest if using it, until smooth. Microwave in one minute intervals until mixture is thick and coats back of metal spoon. Remove from microwave and add butter, a little at a time, wisking smooth after each addition. Store for up to 3 weeks.

Post from: Baking Delights

First of all, I know calas are not baked. They are fried. However not enough of you have tasted traditional New Orleans Rice Calas because if you had they would be plastered all over blogs everywhere, and they are not. I do try to concentrate on baked things mostly but sometimes we all need to widen our horizons. The texture of these fritters as you bite into them is heavenly, a quick intense burst of flavor and then the calas just melt away like cotton candy. It is amazing.

After I dropped Marc off at work this morning (sorry, babe, I didn’t have time to make them before), and picked up oil for my van I started thinking about some left over brown basmati rice I had in the fridge. And the thought of how to use that, coupled with trying to get the right oil made me think of these. I know, it’s a scary journey into the workings of my mind.

Calas are vintage New Orleans street food. The creole street vendors used to walk through the streets shouting “Calas, bels calas tout chauds!”( which is creole french, so if you are Canadian or French it probably looks a little weird.) Loosely translated it means, “Calas, beautiful Calas very hot!”. The maids of the wealthy people then used to step out the kitchen doors and buy them to put on the table for breakfast.

Sadly, this creole treat seems to be disappearing in the hustle and bustle of the modern world. I hope you will try it and imagine yourself in New Orleans at the turn of the century. Or, just eat it and think about how you are SO glad I posted this recipe. Either one will work.

I like brown basmati rice in this because the rice has a slight pecan flavor that just adds to the complexity of the flavors for me. If you like citrus grate a little citrus peel in the batter. Traditionally they were served rolled in powdered sugar but I like table sugar on them. Try it both ways and see what you like best.

Creole Calas

2 cups cooked, cold rice

3 eggs beaten

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 c sugar

pinch of salt

1/3 c of flour ( you want to use just enough to get a good batter, not too much or the calas will be heavy. This takes a little practice. )

3 tsp baking powder

sugar or confectioners sugar for rolling and sprinkling.

Heat the deep fryer to 360F.

Combine the rice, eggs, vanilla, and nutmeg and mix well. Stir in dry ingredients. Drop by (measuring) tablespoonful into the preheated oil. Turn them as they become golden on the bottom…don’t let them brown too much.

When they are golden on both sides remove from the fryer and allow to drain over the hot oil a few minutes. Dump basket on paper grocery bags (the BEST for absorbing oil) and wait for the oil to reheat. Make a new batch, and continue until the batter is gone. Roll in preferred sugar coating.

Calas need to be eaten immediately and don’t store well. It is hard to say how many it makes. It varies.

Post from: Baking Delights

  This morning I decided to treat everyone to doughnuts. I used my normal recipe with some adjustments and these were really good. The kids said they tasted like that candy, Circus Peanuts, but I don’t think so.    Do you spell it donut or doughnut? Both are correct but I am seeing the first spelling more and more! Donut,doughnut…as long as they taste great who cares?

  The only trick to making really good doughnuts is a clean oil, temp 375F, and a dough that is so soft it is nearly, but not quite, impossible to work. Oh! And cut straight through the dough, twisting deflates it some even though it is not yeast risen.

 Banana Cake Doughnuts

      about 3 dozen plus doughnut holes (or donut holes if you are making donuts)

4 eggs beaten

2/3 c sugar

1/3 c buttermilk

1/3 c butter-melted

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp banana flavor (Frontier does a good one)

3 1/2 c flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg (FRESHLY GRATED!!!)

Combine eggs and sugar, beat until smooth and light. Add  buttermilk, cooled butter, vanilla, and banana flavor.  Sift dry ingredients. Add egg mixture and beat until smooth. Chill ( don’t chill the dough…it does make it MUCH easier to work. I just never have time)

  Roll out about 1/3 inch thick. cut with floured cutter. Let stand about 10 minutes.

   While waiting make icing:

1 c confectioners

1/4 c butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp banana

mix thoroughly and ad a little buttermilk to thin if needed or add more confectioners to thicken.

Drop doughnuts in 375 oil. Fry only a couple at a time. I have a large fryer and I do 4-5 at a time.  Turn when one side is golden.  Fry until done. Drain and place on absorbant surface (this is how I recycle my brown paper bags..) Glaze while still warm.

Post from: Baking Delights

You can’t imagine how good these are with a steaming mug of coffee. I like them in the autumn because they seem like such an autumn-y food but sometimes I just get a craving for them in June..
If you don’t have an electric deep fryer do think about getting one..It makes it so much more convienient to do things like this on spur of the moment.

1/2 c dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg beaten
1/2 c molasses
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
3 tsp ginger (yes THREE)
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 -3 c flour

combine all ingredients except flour and stir well. Add just enough flour to make a soft dough, it should leave the sides of the bowl and be JUST firm enough to shape.
Roll out lightly on a floured counter (well floured, this is sticky dough) and cut with a doughnut cutter. Fry in deep hot fat, 360, turning once. Drain on paper towel or brown paper bags. Yu will probably do best with frying them 3-4 at a time, depending on the size of your fryer. The doughnuts will be dark brown because of the molasses.
Repeat with all of the dough, and then fry the doughnut holes.
About 18-24 depending on size of cutter

Lemon Glaze:
1 c confectioners sugar
1 TBS cream
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground lemon peel or sprinkle glazed doughnuts with grated fresh peel.
mix together until smooth. Glaze doughnuts while warm.

Post from: Baking Delights

  Anyway….during the hottest part of summer baking is not high on the to do list. Bread and other necessities, like cookies for example, are created either very late at night or early in the morning  in mass quantities. My family has a sweet tooth of mammoth proportions inherited from my husband and homemade doughnuts are a breakfast favorite all year but more likely to be on the menu in the summer.  With a deep fryer they are quick and easy to make and so much better than what you get at the store. If you have access to a really good doughnut shop then perhaps these will be rivaled by that.  Try them with your favorite filling… a lemon or lime curd is lucious, or fruit preserves and jams. You can shake them in a small lunch bag filled with sugar or sugar and cinnamon or make a confectioner sugar glaze. I am having a  cycle where I am using alot of citrus/chocolate combos and so I am thinking of a dark chocolate glaze with orange curd filling, or a white chooclate glaze with lime curd…

Old Fashioned Filled Doughnuts

 2 eggs

1 c sugar

pinch of salt

1 c milk

4 c flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp lemon juice

4 tbs melted butter

Heat oil in deep fryer to 370

Beat eggs until light, stir in sugar, milk, lemon, butter and salt.

Blend dry ingredients in another bowl and add them to the egg mixture. Mix until you have a soft dough but beware of over mixing as this will toughen the doughnuts. Chill until dough can be worked with  and turn out onto a floured counter. Roll out about 1/2″ thick and cut into rounds. Make a depression in the rounds with your thumb and put a tsp or so of filling  in the depressions of half the rounds.  Wet edges with water and press one unfilled round on the top of each filled round, pinching the edges securely closed.

Drop carefully in small batches into deep fryer, frying until golden, turning as necessary.

Drain on paper towel or brown paper grocery bags. Shake in bags of sugar or glaze while still warm .

 Depending on the cutter you use you will get about 2 dozen.

Post from: Baking Delights