PUMPKIN DOUGHNUTS with APPLE CIDER GLAZE

...OR Cinnamon Sugar...what ever your poison...he he

A while ago I did a guest post on "Or So She Say's" about my grandmothers yummy homemade doughnuts and the tradition of making doughnuts at our family reunions. Well, my grandmother's tradition has inspired me to create my own little tradition.

I bookmarked this recipe a couple of years ago when I came across it in my Cuisine at Home magazine. I've always thought doughnuts and Halloween marry well, and what could add more to that perfect marriage than pumpkin and a little apple cider spice!?

I think it's perfection! So I'll be making these little beauties on Thursday and sharing with some friends for a new Halloween tradition!

PUMPKIN DOUGHNUTS

with Apple Cider Glaze or Cinnamon Sugar

(Recipe from Cuisine at Home Oct. 2008)

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 C. canned pumpkin puree

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. buttermilk

1/4 C. brown sugar

3 T. butter; melted

4 t. baking powder

2 t. pumpkin pie spice

1 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

3 C. sifted all purpose flour

Vegetable oil for frying

1. Whisk egg and yolk together in a large bowl until frothy.

2. Add pumpkin, sugar, buttermilk, brown sugar, and butter; whisk until combined.

3. Stir in baking powder, pie spice, salt and soda.

4. Fold flour in gradually until a sticky dough forms; cover with plastic wrap and freeze 15 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, heat 2" oil to 370 degrees in an electric skillet, deep fryer, or straight-sided pan over medium.

6. Pat out dough on a well-floured surface to 1/2" thick, then cut with a 3" and 1" biscuit cutters dipped in flour. (You can also use a doughnut cutter, if you have one.)

7. Transfer doughnuts and holes to a floured baking sheet using spatula that's been dusted in flour.

8. Fry doughnuts and holes in batches in the oil until browned, about 3 minutes, turning once (holes will cook faster). Drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet.

9. Finish with sugar or glaze (see recipes below).

10. Makes about 18 doughnuts and holes.

APPLE CIDER GLAZE

1/2 C. apple cider

pinch of salt

5-6 C. powdered sugar

1. Heat cider and salt in a small saucepan over low until hot.

2. Take off the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth.

3. Dip cooled doughnuts in glaze and let stand about 5 minutes.

(The glaze will dry as it cools, so make it just before using.)

CINNAMON SUGAR

1 C. sugar

2 t. ground cinnamon

1. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small paper bag.

2. Toss doughnuts and holes in sugar mixture while hot.

Go ahead...have a muffin for breakfast...

We've all had a bran muffin at some point in our lives, right?? Most of them are dry and tasteless, but we eat them anyway...because it's good for us?? Thankfully my friend and neighbor, Emily, shared this amazing recipe with me. It's full of all things healthy and good, but it's not dry and certainly not tasteless. In fact it's moist, fruity, sweet and almost makes you think you're eating something you shouldn't be...

Suddenly I don't feel bad about having a muffin for breakfast!

FYI...little "r", as well as Emily's two little ones, eat these like candy! Who doesn't love a healthy recipe that kids will gobble up.

BRAN FLAX MUFFINS
(Recipe from Emily Nuttall)

1 ½ C. unbleached white flour
¾ C. flaxseed meal
¾ C. oat bran
1 C. brown sugar
2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1 ½ c. carrots; shredded
2 apples; peeled & shredded
½ C. raisins (optional)
1 C. nuts; chopped (optional)
¾ C. milk
2 eggs; beaten
1 t. vanilla

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients; mix well.
2. Stir in carrots, apples, raisins, and nuts.
3. In a separate bowl combine the milk, beaten eggs and vanilla.
4. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until moistened. Do not over mix.
5. Fill muffin cups ¾ full and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
6. Makes 2 dozen.

A special New Years treat...

Happy New Year!! I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe New Year. I spent the evening groaning on the couch trying desperately not to throw up! Nice visual hu?? My poor husband, no fun for us. I have to give him a big thank you! He has spent this whole week taking care of me. Cleaning the house, watching our baby girl as much as he can, and waiting on me hand and foot. I owe him big time...oh yea...I'm carrying his baby. But still, I know there are a lot of husbands that still aren't as attentive, even under these circumstances. I married a good man.

As for today's recipe. Have I got a treat for you! This is my grandma's famous cinnamon roll recipe and they are "to die for" yummy! The big secret is the mashed potatoes in the dough. They make the bread super moist and melt in your mouth.

I grew up on these rolls. They were the first "bread" recipe with yeast that I ever learned to make. They're kind of special to me, holding a lot of memories of my childhood. And now that my grandma has passed, I can't help but think of her every time I make them.



GRANDMA'S CINNAMON ROLLS
(Recipe from my Grandma Woolf)

1 packages yeast
2 cups scolded milk
½ cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup prepared mashed potatoes
2 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
6-8 C. flour
cinnamon
brown sugar
nutmeg
melted butter
nuts (optional)
raisins (optional)

1. Dissolve the yeast in 3/4 cups warm water and a pinch of sugar.
2. In a large mixing bowl cream the together the shortening, sugar, and eggs.
3. Add the milk and potatoes. Mix together.
4. Add yeast and salt.
5. Add 5 cups flour. Keep adding flour until the dough comes together. It should be soft and still a little tacky but not wet.
6. Set the dough aside in a warm spot. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let rise until double.
7. Punch down, let rise again.
8. Roll out the dough ½ at a time into a rectangular shape about ¼ - ½ inch thick.
9. Spread 1/3 C. melted butter over the dough, top with 2 T. cinnamon, 1 t. nutmeg, 1 C. brown sugar, ½ C. nuts and 1 C. raisins.
10. Roll up the dough and use a string or dental floes to cut into 1 to 1 ½ inch rolls.
11. Place in a 9x13 pan ½ to 1 inch apart. Allow to rise for 15-30 minutes or until the rolls are touching.
12. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Top with glaze or butter cream frosting.

In the most unusual places...

Some time's inspiration come from the most unusual sources. Like finding this yummy recipe in my Costco Connect Magazine...who would have thought.

My neighbor and friend Mirelle had her baby over the weekend. I offered to bring her dinner this week, and dinner is not complete without dessert; at least right after having a baby. While trying to figure out what to make, I got the mail and was thumbing through the Costco magazine. To my surprise this tasty little treat caught my eye. I figured why not try something new.

It was well worth it! Thanks Costco!

CARAMEL GLAZED APPLE CAKE
(Recipe from Costco Magazine)

CAKE
1 C. packed brown sugar
1 C. granulated sugar
1 ½ C. veg. oil
3 eggs
3 C. flour
1 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon
½ t. nutmeg
½ t. salt
5 apples, cored peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
1 C. chopped pecans or walnuts
2 ½ t. vanilla extract

CARAMEL GLAZE
4 T. butter
¼ C. brown sugar
¼ C. granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
½ C. heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 9x13 pan.
2. To prepare the cake, beat both sugars and oil in a mixing bowl until very well blended.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, mixing just until blended.
5. Stir in apples, nuts and vanilla; pour into pan.
6. Bake for 50-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan while preparing the glaze. (Mine cooked for a little over an hour.)
7. To prepare the glaze, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in both sugars and salt; cook over medium heat for 2 minutes.
8. Add cream and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
9. Poke holes in the cake with a skewer or fork. Poor on the glaze.
10. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream. (Actually I thought it tasted really good chilled in the refrigerator. But that's me, I even like my apple pie cold.)

Melt in your mouth...

These will definitely do just that!

I was food blog surfing last week and came across this recipe. I printed it out and put it on my list to try. Unfortunately I didn't write down the blog that I found it on. I tried to find it again, so I could give proper credit for this amazing recipe but was unable to find it. So if anyone reads this and knows what blog this originated from, please leave me a comment with the answer.

Bottom line, these muffins somehow really do taste like a donut. Hot out of the oven, they melt in your mouth!


CINNAMON SUGAR DONUT MUFFINS

2 C. flour
1 T. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 C. plain yogurt
2/3 C. packed brown sugar
6 T. oil
1 t. vanilla
¼ C. butter
½ C. sugar
1 t. cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pans with paper cups (24).
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, sugar, oil, and vanilla.
4. Add flour mixture and mix with light strokes until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Do not over mix; batter should not be smooth.
5. Divide batter among the muffin cups and bake 15-18 minutes.
6. While muffins are baking, melt ¼ cup butter and place in a bowl.
7. Combine ½ cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl as well.
8. As soon as the muffins are done, dip them one at a time in the melted butter and then in the sugar mixture. Set on a rack to cool.

BLUEBERRY SOUR CREAM MUFFINS OR COFFEE CAKE

I'm a little bit blue this weekend. My hubby is out of town on business and won't be home until Monday. A whole weekend without my best friend!

Little munchkin and I have been trying to keep busy, so we made blueberry muffins this morning. This is another of my original recipes, dating back to high school foods class. This recipe can be made into muffins or coffee cake.


BLUEBERRY SOUR CREAM MUFFINS OR COFFEE CAKE
(Mindi Original)

1 ½ C. fresh or frozen blueberries
¼ C. butter
1 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 t. lemon peel
2 C. flour
1 t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
1 C. sour cream

1. With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and lemon peel.
2. On low speed beat in sour cream, flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
3. Gently stir in blueberries.
4. Line cupcake pans with paper liners or spray with non stick spray.
5. Spoon batter into pans (makes 24 regular size muffins).
6. Sprinkle with crumb topping. (recipe below)
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

To bake as a coffee cake; spoon batter into greased 10 inch microwave safe dish. Sprinkle on topping. Cook on high for 10 minutes, rotating dish one quarter turn every 2 minutes.

TOPPING
1/3 C. brown sugar
1/3 C. flour
1 t. cinnamon
2 T. butter
½ C. finely chopped nuts

In a small bowl combine brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon; mix well. With a fork or pastry blender, cut in better until mixture resembles course crumbs; stir in nuts and set aside.