Category: Food

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Buttermilk Doughnuts

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It’s just not a particularly fair planet–is it?

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I mean, come on.

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Haven’t I been doing really well…

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resisting every snack…

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every treat…

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every goodie, for weeks now?

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All for the sake…

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of the dreaded scale?

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Doing quite well, too–thank you very much.

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And then, my talented kids…

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take an otherwise innocent afternoon…

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and pull this.

Chanting, chanting, chanting…

“Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels. Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels. Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels.”

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No.

But I bet it’s dang close.

Sheesh.

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Buttermilk Doughnuts

Ingredients

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5-1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups buttermilk
Oil for deep-fat frying
Additional sugar, cinnamon-sugar or confectioners’ sugar, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until light and lemon-colored. Add butter and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; add to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/2-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. doughnut cutter.
In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry doughnuts, a few at a time, for 1 minute on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Roll in additional sugar if desired. Yield: 4 dozen.

(Recipe from Taste of Home Magazine)

Buttermilk Doughnuts
 
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Ingredients
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ⅓ cup butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 5-1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • Oil for deep-fat frying
  • Additional sugar, cinnamon-sugar or confectioners' sugar, optional
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until light and lemon-colored.
  2. Add butter and vanilla; mix well.
  3. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; add to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk.
  4. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
  5. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to ½-in. thickness.
  6. Cut with a floured 3-in. doughnut cutter.
  7. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°.
  8. Fry doughnuts, a few at a time, for 1 minute on each side or until golden.
  9. Drain on paper towels.
  10. Roll in additional sugar if desired.

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Pumpkin Cake Roll

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I know that the actual holidays are behind us, but there are still 150 cans of Libby’s Pumpkin in our pantry…or so it seems.

This recipe has been stuck to my recipe “to do” board for weeks now and finally—holidays or no holidays–I just had to make the darn thing. Holy cow–am I glad I did. This cake was incredibly light and fluffy but rolled perfectly into a little log. Please notice how curled the center of the cake is—I’m pretty proud of that thing. And we haven’t even talked about how it tasted. Holy Cow–did I already say that? Sorry. At any rate–it was a wonderful, glorious experience and I was sorely tempted to eat the whole thing myself. In fact, I believe I tried.

Trust me when I say that I’ll be making this one again…and again…and—well, until the 150 cans are gone. You know…

just trying to help.

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Pumpkin Cake Roll

Ingredients

3 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar, divided
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

FILLING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional confectioners’ sugar, optional

Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed paper; grease the paper and set aside. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks on high speed until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and pumpkin, beating on high until sugar is almost dissolved.
In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into egg yolk mixture. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gently fold into pumpkin mixture.

Spread into prepared pan.

Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes.

Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners’ sugar.

Gently peel off waxed paper.

Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until smooth. Unroll cake; spread filling evenly to within 1/2 in. of edges.

Roll up again. Cover and freeze until firm. May be frozen for up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before cutting. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired. Yield: 10 servings.

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To avoid smashing your roll when cutting it with a knife, slide a piece of string or dental floss under the roll, cross it at the top…

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and close the circle through the cake. This will make your cuts clean and smooth.

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Ain’t that pretty?

Pumpkin Cake Roll
 
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Ingredients
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 1 cup sugar, divided
  • ⅔ cup canned pumpkin
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed paper; grease the paper and set aside. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks on high speed until thick and lemon-colored.
  2. Gradually add ½ cup sugar and pumpkin, beating on high until sugar is almost dissolved.
  3. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
  4. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
  5. Fold into egg yolk mixture.
  6. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gently fold into pumpkin mixture. Spread into prepared pan.
  7. Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
  8. Cool for 5 minutes.
  9. Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners’ sugar.
  10. Gently peel off waxed paper.
  11. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side.
  12. Cool completely on a wire rack.
  13. Unroll cake; spread filling evenly to within ½ in. of edges.
  14. Roll up again.
  15. Cover and freeze until firm.
  16. Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before cutting.
  17. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired.
Notes
* FILLING: 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 2 tablespoons butter, softened 1 cup confectioners' sugar ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract Additional confectioners' sugar, optional In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth.
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White Chocolate Popcorn

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All the rage–these days, and for good reason. Incredibly simple. Dang yummy. Perfect for your New Year celebration.

White Chocolate Popcorn

Ingredients:

4 c. popped popcorn

1 Tbsp. Crisco Shortening

1  11 oz. bag Ghirardelli Chocolate Classic White Chocolate Baking Chips

1 cup dry roasted peanuts, M&Ms, raisins, pecans, pretzels –or any combination you’d like

Directions:

Important Note:

You can pop the corn yourself or buy the bagged kind–either way is fine. However–please, please pour the popped corn in a large bowl and shake it around–to get the un-popped kernels and the “Old Maids” to sink to the bottom. Then, lift the whole, popped corn out and set in another big bowl. Throw away all the nasty little tooth breakers. Seriously, they don’t get to be part of our adventure. Now, then–with that said…

Melt the Crisco and white chocolate together. Pour the mixture over the popped corn mixture and thoroughly coat all the pieces. Spread on waxed papered cookie sheets to set. Store in tightly covered container.

Nibble until 2010…and beyond.

White Chocolate Popcorn
 
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:
Ingredients
  • 4 c. popped popcorn
  • 1 Tbsp. Crisco Shortening
  • 1  11 oz. bag
  • Ghirardelli Chocolate Classic White Chocolate Baking Chips
  • 1 cup dry roasted peanuts, M&Ms, raisins, pecans, pretzels --or any combination you'd like
Instructions
  1. Important Note:
  2. You can pop the corn yourself or buy the bagged kind--either way is fine. However--please, please pour the popped corn in a large bowl and shake it around--to get the un-popped kernels and the "Old Maids" to sink to the bottom. Then, lift the whole, popped corn out and set in another big bowl. Throw away all the nasty little tooth breakers. Seriously, they don't get to be part of our adventure. Now, then--with that said...
  3. Melt the Crisco and white chocolate together. Pour the mixture over the popped corn mixture and thoroughly coat all the pieces. Spread on waxed papered cookie sheets to set. Store in tightly covered container.
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Noodle Angel Ornaments

Here’s a fun little project that turns out quite pretty in the end. In fact, depending on the ages of your children–you might just turn this one over to them. We used the assembly line approach and made quite a noodle choir in about an hour.

For each angel you will need:

1 wooden bead

1 Rotini noodle

1 Bowtie noodle

2 macaroni noodles

a small pile of Acini de Pepe pasta

Tacky glue

First, glue the wooden beads to the top of the Rotini noodle and allow to dry. Then, dip the angel’s head in a hair type shape.

Pat the gluey head into the Acini de Pepe pasta for a curly hair look.

Next, glue the macaroni on like arms and allow to dry a bit. Glue the bowtie wings on the back. You can leave your angels a lovely noodle color…

or you can lay them on newspaper in a well ventilated area and spray paint them gold or silver or white.

Turn them over and spray until all the nooks and crannies are painted thoroughly.

Add a string or cord for a hanging loop on the back above the bow. Now your sweet little angels are ready to grace your presents or to just be hung on the tree directly…

do not pass go…

do not collect $200.

Oh—Pasta and Alfredo sauce may sound really good right about now.

Heh, heh…

You might also like:

Ten Minute Christmas Treats

Christmas Candy Hugs

The Real Baby Jesus

 

 

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Toffee Pretzels

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This clever little recipe is pretty darn close to the Chex Candy–except that it uses pretzels instead of Chex.

Hence the name.

Nice touch, though–with the salt. Around this time of year, I find that anything with the word “Toffee” in it just makes you glad to be alive.

Family. Friends. Toffee.

Right now, that’s all there is–and baby, it’s enough.

Toffee Pretzels

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups corn syrup

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

1-1/2 tsp vanilla

1 bag pretzels (about 24oz.)

Cook first three ingredients together to full boil. Boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour over pretzels and mix to coat all pieces. Spread on wax paper to cool.