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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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For Goodness Sake

with investigator

Every noble impulse, every unselfish expression of love, every brave suffering for the right; every surrender of self to something higher than self; every loyalty to an ideal; every unselfish devotion to principle; every helpfulness to humanity; every act of self-control; every fine courage of the soul, undefeated by pretense or policy, but by being, doing, and living of good for the very good’s sake–that is spirituality.

David O. McKay

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My New Love…

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Oh, yes. I am in love again. This does happen quite frequently–doesn’t it?

If you have the deep and abiding love of peppermint–like I do, then my wish for you is that you have this lovely experience sometime in your life. Purely, pepperminty hand lotion. Have you ever heard of such a thing? This particular brand is from William Sonoma–I know, I know…just a tad snooty. But oh my goodness! This was just the perfect little touch of luxury that I was needing right about now, you know? Didn’t hurt my feelings at all that it was 50% off either! Might just be a great gift for Valentine’s Day–if you throw the hints the right way.

My little Jillian tucked this surprise in with some other Christmas goodies and let me just say, “Hea-ven!” It smells just like my daddy’s “sugar room” from when I was a kid. He was a chef and made candy and cakes and pulled sugar taffy that always smelled like peppermint. Mmmmmm.

It’s all I can do not to lick my fingers—but even I know that would be unwise. I have no idea if the brand makes a difference or not–but I’m telling you…

If you get the chance to be near Peppermint lotion in this or the next life–take it. Or come over to my house and I’ll share a smidge…just a smidge.

Then you gotta get your own.

Posted on

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.