I'm sorry that I didn't post anything on Friday; both boys had had fevers earlier this week, and on Thursday it was my turn. By Friday I was feeling better, but there was much to do to get things back in order, and I didn't feel like getting on the computer at all. I'm almost completely better now (the only thing left is a sore throat), but I don't really have a topic to write about. So I will post one of the things I wrote back in April that never made it up.
One of the recipes that I found was for donuts. Now, I've tried a variety of fritters and funnel cakes, but I've never really tried donuts. And I've been craving donuts. I'm still feeding The Amazing Flying Child (part of the reason I never sleep) and I still get the weirdest cravings. Because I'm not pregnant I don't feel justified in begging to have each and every one filled. But the donuts, for the past month. So I decided to do the only thing I could. I'd make them!
Into the bread machine pan in this order:
6 tbsp water
2/3 c milk
1 egg
4 c white flour
¼ c sugar (in a corner)
1 tsp salt (in a corner)
¼ c butter (in a corner)
1 ½ tsp rapid dry yeast (in the center)
Set on the basic dough setting.
You also need oil for deep frying, cinnamon and sugar, and Raspberry Filling (below).
When the dough cycle has finished, remove the dough from the machine and place it on a lightly floured surface. Punch the dough down gently and divide it in half. Cover one half with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Divide the remaining piece of dough into eight equal portions.
Take each portion in turn and use your hands to roll it into a smooth ball. Lightly oil two baking sheets. Place the eight dough balls on one of the prepared baking sheets. Cover them with oiled plastic wrap and leave in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes.
Roll the remaining dough out to a thickness of ½ inch. Cut into circles using a 3 inch plain cutter. Then make the dough circles into rings using a 1 ½ inch plain cutter. Place the rings on the remaining baking sheet, cover them with oiled plastic wrap and leave them in a warm place to rise 30 minutes.
Heat the oil for deep-frying to 350 degrees—until a drop of water sizzles when you sprinkle it in. Cook the doughnuts for about 4-5 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Toss the round doughnuts in sugar and the rings in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Set aside to cool.
Heat 3 tbsp raspberry jam and 1 tsp lemon juice in a small pan, stirring to combine. Let cool, then spoon the mixture into a pastry bag with a small round tip.
When the round doughnuts have cooled, use a skewer to make a small hole in each. Insert the piping nozzle and squeeze a little of the filling into each doughnut.
When I made them, I forgot to add the egg. They still turned out alright, perhaps a little heavier than they would have been. I did not divide the dough and make the filled doughnuts. I rolled the dough out and used a small bowl to cut the rings and a small jar to cut out the holes. It turned out that I didn't roll the dough flat enough and I had to cut each doughnut in half (butterflied) so that they would cook all the way through. While the doughnuts were cooling I made a simple chocolate sauce of equal parts butter, cocoa, sugar and milk, and boiled it for a minute or so. Then I spooned it onto the doughnuts. It would have been better to just melt some chocolate chips, but I didn't have any. I also ended up frying the holes, which in retrospect, could have been filled. . . oh well, live and learn!
“Take chances, get messy, make mistakes!”
The Amazing Flying Child is getting another tooth (groaning and moaning). It only seems to bother him when I'm busy, and at night. So not only can I not get anything done, I can't sleep either. And Nick woke up yesterday with a mild fever; he feels rotten. We think that might be due to the weather changing. So of course I decide to not clean anything and spend the day making tortillas and donuts. (The tortilla recipe will come next.)
When Katherine gave me her bread machine she included a copy of The Cooks Encyclopedia of Bread Machine Baking by Jennie Shapter. The first day I got it I looked through it just to see what it had. I admit that I'm surprised at some of the things you can make in a bread machine. My machine has a setting for jams and jellies! Anyway, I was looking through and tagged a few recipes that either looked interesting or were things I've always heard of and wanted to try, like Hot Cross Buns. I'm going to try those on my birthday so they'll be ready for Easter.
One of the recipes that I found was for donuts. Now, I've tried a variety of fritters and funnel cakes, but I've never really tried donuts. And I've been craving donuts. I'm still feeding The Amazing Flying Child (part of the reason I never sleep) and I still get the weirdest cravings. Because I'm not pregnant I don't feel justified in begging to have each and every one filled. But the donuts, for the past month. So I decided to do the only thing I could. I'd make them!
So here is the recipe, out of the book, and at the end I'll tell you what I did different.
Doughnuts
Into the bread machine pan in this order:
6 tbsp water
2/3 c milk
1 egg
4 c white flour
¼ c sugar (in a corner)
1 tsp salt (in a corner)
¼ c butter (in a corner)
1 ½ tsp rapid dry yeast (in the center)
Set on the basic dough setting.
You also need oil for deep frying, cinnamon and sugar, and Raspberry Filling (below).
When the dough cycle has finished, remove the dough from the machine and place it on a lightly floured surface. Punch the dough down gently and divide it in half. Cover one half with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Divide the remaining piece of dough into eight equal portions.
Take each portion in turn and use your hands to roll it into a smooth ball. Lightly oil two baking sheets. Place the eight dough balls on one of the prepared baking sheets. Cover them with oiled plastic wrap and leave in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes.
Roll the remaining dough out to a thickness of ½ inch. Cut into circles using a 3 inch plain cutter. Then make the dough circles into rings using a 1 ½ inch plain cutter. Place the rings on the remaining baking sheet, cover them with oiled plastic wrap and leave them in a warm place to rise 30 minutes.
Heat the oil for deep-frying to 350 degrees—until a drop of water sizzles when you sprinkle it in. Cook the doughnuts for about 4-5 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Toss the round doughnuts in sugar and the rings in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Set aside to cool.
Heat 3 tbsp raspberry jam and 1 tsp lemon juice in a small pan, stirring to combine. Let cool, then spoon the mixture into a pastry bag with a small round tip.
When the round doughnuts have cooled, use a skewer to make a small hole in each. Insert the piping nozzle and squeeze a little of the filling into each doughnut.
When I made them, I forgot to add the egg. They still turned out alright, perhaps a little heavier than they would have been. I did not divide the dough and make the filled doughnuts. I rolled the dough out and used a small bowl to cut the rings and a small jar to cut out the holes. It turned out that I didn't roll the dough flat enough and I had to cut each doughnut in half (butterflied) so that they would cook all the way through. While the doughnuts were cooling I made a simple chocolate sauce of equal parts butter, cocoa, sugar and milk, and boiled it for a minute or so. Then I spooned it onto the doughnuts. It would have been better to just melt some chocolate chips, but I didn't have any. I also ended up frying the holes, which in retrospect, could have been filled. . . oh well, live and learn!
--Zizi
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