Itsy Bitsy Doughnuts

I purchased these mini muffin tins a few months back.  I have been dying to make some little doughnuts, but for some reason just haven't had the time.  With all my meal planning (cooking most nights), three kids going here there and everywhere and all the back to school stuff, I barely have time to focus on the day to day.

Halloween is always a really fun holiday in our house.  For the past 9-10 years we have had a neighborhood party. The party, for me, is just an excuse to decorate, create fun and creative food, get everyone in one place, and keep  my kids close to home.  This year, each of my kids want to invite just a few kids over for dinner(prior to trick-or-treating) and although they are going to gather tons of "junk" as they venture into the neighborhood, I wanted something sweet and festive on the table.

Isaac and I experimented with a baked doughnut recipe I found on one of my favorite blogs, Sprinkle Bakes. Hers were so cute and the recipe seemed easy enough.  As I was making the dough, it reminded me of a pancake or waffle dough.  There is no yeast involved and all can be done in one mixing bowl.  My kind of Sunday morning activity.

All my kids fell in love with these doughnuts!  Isaac, my savory, loving, chip eating, curly headed monster could not stop eating them.  Generally, when I make something new, he takes one bite and says, "it's just okay".  Hence, these he ate proudly!

Vanilla Bean Baby Doughnuts
adapted from here
yield: 4-5 dozen

ingredients:
doughnuts
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbls. unsalted butter, melted
seeds from half of a vanilla bean

glaze
1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 Tbls. whole organic milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
food coloring of your choice

instructions:
doughnuts:
• preheat oven to 425*.  spray mini doughnut pans with cooking spray.
• in a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
• add the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, vanilla seeds, and melted butter.
• mix just to combine.  don't over mix
• using a piping bag and medium size tip, fill doughnut trays, 1/2 way full.
• bake 5-8 minutes or until top of the doughnuts spring back when touched.
• let cool in pan 4-5 minutes before removing.
glaze
• in a small bowl, stir together sugar, milk, and vanilla.  you may need to add more
sugar, depending upon the thickness you desire.  add food coloring and mix until
color is uniform.
• use immediately.  sprinkle with nonpareils, or jimmies.

Mini Nutella Doughnuts

I love making a "doughnut" that doesn't require yeast!  These are much more like a beignet than a doughnut, but who really cares; fried dough is fried dough.  And fried dough is really, really good.

I was reading one of my really old cookbooks, The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham and came across a recipe for some simple doughnuts.  Then, I was reading Helene's blog and she had a recipe for mini Nutella Doughnuts.  It was a sign!

I whipped up a batch of these a few mornings ago, prior to the kids waking up. When they did ultimately get up
( it is summer, after all - sleeping until 10:00 a.m. has become the norm), they ventured into the kitchen first.  There were quite a few smiles that morning!

These are easy and delicious.  Next time I will pipe them with jelly or lemon curd or some marshmallow fluff for Levi!

Nutella Doughnuts

adapted from My Tartelette 

ingredients:

3 large eggs

1/4 cup sugar

8 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese 

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

canola oil for frying

powdered sugar for dusting

nutella for piping

instructions:

• heat 3 inches of oil in a dutch oven until it registers 375* on a thermometer

• in a large bowl, stir together eggs, ricotta cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla.  add the flour, baking powder and mix until combined

• drop a tablespoon of batter into oil.  fry for about 2-3 minutes on each side.  you want them amber in color.  do not crowd the pan ( I fried one to begin with to check for doneness.  I opened one up to make sure the dough was cooked through). 

• when cooked, drain on paper towels.

• when warm enough to handle, pipe nutella into the center of each doughnut.  dust with powdered sugar.

• eat them immediately.  best when fresh from the fryer!

Doughnuts-All Kinds!

This was a fun day! And these doughnuts are yum-o-licious!

I have been wanting to make doughnuts for forever, but was a little hesitant. I committed myself to making doughnuts for my friend, Jillian's birthday in two weeks. Jillian is turning 11 and wants me to help her with a cooking party. As the theme is going to be "Mexican", she had mentioned wanting a churro for dessert. We came up with the next best thing, doughnuts. I wanted to do a trial run. I couldn't walk into that party not knowing whether these were going to be good enough.

Whenever one is using yeast, one has to remember that it is a lot easier than it appears. One just has to be able to play the waiting game. That is exactly why I picked a cloudy, fall-like day.

I trust Sherry Yard, and that is exactly why I chose to make her doughnuts from Desserts by the Yard. I may have overcooked a few of them, but with that said, they were really good. Fried dough...can't really go wrong! The recipe says to eat within two hours of making them. I wasn't going to make my family eat 18 doughnuts (however, if they had their way, they would have gladly done so). Instead we packed them up and went door to door. We put a few smiles on our neighbors faces!

The winner of the doughnut challenge was...the glaze! Eli wants to make these again, however make them all glazed. I kind of don't blame him.

ingredients:

1/2 oz fresh yeast or 2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 cup milk, heated to lukewarm (80*)
4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
1tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1tsp grated lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 oz unsalted butter, softened
vegetable oil for frying

directions:

In the bowl of a standing mixer, whisk the yeast and 1/2 cup of the milk until the yeast has dissolved. Let stand 5 minutes, then stir in 1 tbls. of the sugar and 1/2 cup of the flour, forming a thin batter. Cover this sponge with plastic wrap and let rest at room temp for 20-30 minutes, until bubbles form.

Reheat the remaining 1/2 cup milk to lukewarm. Stir the warm milk, buttermilk, nutmeg, lemon zest and teh remaining 1/4 cup plus 1 tsp sugar into the sponge. Place the remaining 3 1/2 cups flour and the salt on the top of the sponge. Put the bowl on the mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 2 minutes or until the dough comes together. Scrape down the bowl and the paddle and change to the dough hook. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for 5 minutes.

Turn the speed down and add the softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Mix for 5 minutes or until the dough comes together and is smooth. Scrape the dough from the sides of the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set it aside to rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Line two 12 x 17 inch half sheet pans with parchment and lightly dust with flour. When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a flat surface, dusted with flour and roll it out to a 10" square with a thickness of 1/2". Wrap the dough in plastic and put in freezer for 20-30 minutes. Using a 2 1/2" doughnut cutter, cut out the doughnuts and the holes. Dip the cutter in flour each time. Place doughnuts and holes on the sheet pans. Cover with lightly sprayed plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes.

In a deep heavy skillet (I used my Le Creuset), heat 3" of oil over medium heat to 350*. Carefully slide 4 doughnuts at a time into the hot oil. Brown on one side, then the other, using a slotted spoon to flip. Drain them on paper towels.

Toppings:

1. Cinnamon sugar - 1 cup sugar mixed with 1 1/2 Tbls. cinnamon. Coat these right away when doughnuts are still a little wet.

2. Chocolate - melt 4 oz. of bittersweet chocolate with 4 oz. unsalted butter in a bowl over simmering water.

2. Glaze - 2 cups of powdered sugar mixed with 1/4 cup milk and 1 tsp. vanilla.

Eat these right away!