Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts

And hello again to you too! I have been a busy bee lately, unfortunately not doing what I love, but here I am. Up at 6am with a sad five year old, and the next thing I know I am piping my batter into the doughnut pan. Thanksgiving is upon us and who would I be if I didn’t take full advantage of my passion for pumpkin?!

I have been trying to make a great tasting doughnut that isn’t too unhealthy and that a glaze will set on. Pumpkin is very oily, which is why it can be a great substitute for oil! BUT, if you plan on baking the doughnuts, you need to make sure you use the right ratio of pumpkin to everything else 😉 Otherwise you will have one hell of a time trying to dust or ice your delicious breakfast (or anytime) treat!

For this recipe I baked my doughnuts and made sure to watch them very closely in the oven so they did not bake too long and end up dry and just plain old icky!

Here is what you will need…

• 1/2 C. Unsalted Butter, melted
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 C. Light Brown Sugar, packed
• 1/2 C. Granulated Sugar
• 1 1/2 C. Pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. Ginger
• 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 3/4 C. All Purpose Flour

Vanilla Glaze:

• 1 C. Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. + 1/2 tsp.  Milk

Here was my process…

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and grease doughnut pan(s).
2. In stand up mixer beat together melted butter ( slightly cooled ), eggs, and vanilla until well blended.
3. Add sugars, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Mix until combined well.
4. Remove bowl from stand up mixer and fold in baking powder and all-purpose flour. Do not over mix the dough.
5. Transfer dough from bowl into pastry bag. (If you do not have a pastry bag use a gallon size zip-lock bag and cut the corner off). Pipe the dough into the doughnut pan and smooth tops if necessary.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 – 17 minutes.
7. While doughnuts are baking prepare glaze. In a small bowl combine powdered sugar, vanilla and milk together and mix until very smooth. If you feel like the glaze is too thick add 1/4 tsp. of milk at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
8. Allow to cool for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Once cooled, glaze your little heart out! Take each doughnut and dip the top in the glaze. Allow the excess glaze to drip off before returning it to the rack.

These are a greatly delicious treat to enjoy with coffee or milk or with bacon! I am one proud mama today!

Please enjoy, and as always…..

Happy Baking!

Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa Muffins

Nothing says “I love you” like fresh-baked goods containing chocolate! Well, I guess flowers might help too, wink, wink. But fresh-baked muffins for quick on the go breakfasts are just as sweet! Realistically I can’t produce a huge fantastic breakfast seven days a week, and I love any excuse to eat chocolate in the morning. I’m telling you, these muffins could be a dessert… but they are categorized as a breakfast food, thank you very much!
The key to these muffins is Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa. I buy mine from King Arthur Four, and it is the perfect combination of black cocoa and Dutch cocoa so the color is deep and rich. Not to mention the amazingly decadent flavor. This is the fanciest way to eat breakfast… at least in my house on a non-holiday.

Here is what you will need…

•  1 3/4 C. All Purpose Flour
• 3/4 C. Sugar
• 3 Tbsp. Cocoa
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1 C. Milk
• 1/2 C. Coconut Oil ( you can use Vegetable Oil if you prefer)
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1 C. Dark Chocolate or Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips…. again, I prefer Ghirardelli

Here was my Process…

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare muffin pan with parchment liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl or mixer combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda. Mix gently until combined.
3. In a small bowl whisk the egg and milk until foamy and set aside.
4. Add oil and vanilla to dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
5. Add milk mixture and beat until smooth.
6. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins. This recipe makes 12 regular sized muffins or 7 large muffins…. I know, what and odd number!
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack, BUT… If you can, eat one while it is still warm… you can thank me later.

Happy Baking!

Dusted Pumpkin Cake Doughnuts

Hello! It has been far too long and I miss this greatly! I have not given up baking at all. SO….many life changes since I left, I am now living on beautiful Bainbridge Island in Washington, I have fallen deeply in love with my best friend and we are living a very happy life. It is about time! September in Washington is a little on the cool side and my favorite season, the Holliday Season, is upon us yet again! I have so many ideas and so much time to perfect them! Today, I present you with Pumpkin Cake Doughnuts! Baked not fried, and so delicious! Even kids like them… well the food adventurous ones at least.

This doughnut is as moist as a cake and the cinnamon sugar-coating makes for the perfect combination of textures! The actual doughnut is moist without being dense, and let me tell you, eighteen doughnuts seem to vanish quite quickly around here. I’m not sure if it is my guy or the five-year old, haha, lets just blame them. 😉 What can I say, they are hard not to eat!

Here is what you will need…

Doughnuts

• 1/2 C. Vegetable Oil
• 3 large Eggs
• 1 1/2 C. Pumpkin Puree, I like to roast my own pumpkin…. but feel free to use canned pumpkin!
• 1 1/2 C. Granulated Sugar
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 2 C. All Purpose flour + 1 Tbsp…. tricky I know!

Coating
1/2 C. Sugar
2 tsp. Cinnamon

Here was my process…

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease doughnut pan.
2. Take a large mixing bowl with the pumpkin puree and beat eggs in one at a time until smooth. You know how I love my wooden spoons, so for this recipe I used none other than my trusty wooden spoon!
3. Then add sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg until everything is incorporated.
4. In a separate bowl sift flour and once sifted add baking powder. ( *Make sure to add 1 Tbsp. of Flour to the 2 C.)
5. Slowly combine the dry ingredients with the pumpkin mixture and mix until sooth, it really shouldn’t take that long.
6. Once combined, spoon (with a regular kitchen spoon) batter into prepared doughnut pan.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, let cool slightly on a cooling rack before coating.
8. Once doughnuts have cooled take each doughnut and dip face down into sugar and cinnamon. It is best to place a cookie sheet under the cooling rack to catch the excess coating that falls from the doughnuts. If it is humid this might be difficult!

 

Enjoy with friends at the park, or at home with the family…. or sneak them with your afternoon coffee for a little extra pick-me-up!

Happy Baking!

Lemon Summer Muffins

Hello bakers! Well, my world has been a little upside down, so I needed to take a minute and get used to things. Unfortunately, I am not a stress baker! I choose to read and cry and drink a little wine. I just can’t help it. But I am back with a brand new computer and some fun baking inspiration. I am loving muffins that can be cupcakes, and vice versa. I wanted a little bit of sweet in my muffin, but I also wanted a little less sweet in my cupcake. So, Cupins! I don’t really like that name and the other option was Muffcakes, and…. that just wasn’t working for me either… for obvious reasons!

As much as I love chocolate, it is just too hot for such a heavy treat. But fresh lemon is the very essence of summer. It is crisp, fresh, refreshing and genuinely tasty. Everything about a lemon makes me smile. The fact that you can put it in your water, or in your cookies or in your pasta sauce just makes me love it that much more. I made a simple lemon glaze to delicately drizzle over my muffins/ cupcakes, but they are great without.

So, what you will need…

• 1 3/4 C. All-Purpose Flour, sifted
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1 Tbsp. Grated Lemon Zest
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1/2 C. Nonfat Milk
• 3/4 C. Granulated Sugar
• 6 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 1/2 C. Fresh Lemon juice
• 1/2 C. Confectioners Sugar

Here was my process…

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. and line a muffin pan with muffin liners. This recipe makes 12 regular size muffins.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and add lemon zest. Set aside.
3. In another bowl whisk eggs until blended.
4. Add sugar, butter, and 1/4 C. Lemon juice to the egg mixture.
5. Slowly add the milk and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir until just combined.
7. Spoon the batter equally into prepared muffin tins.
8. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 12 minutes. Let cool completely before glazing.
9. To make the glaze take the remaining lemon juice and the confectioners sugar and combine in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Drizzle glaze over each muffin. Let set, and enjoy!

This is a super delicious, and refreshing little treat. You can have it for breakfast with a cup of tea and some blueberry yogurt, or for dessert with a scoop of frozen yogurt. These also stand well on their own. Plus you don’t have to worry about feeling gross and full, just happy and satisfied.

Happy Baking!

Orange Honey Ice Cream Sandwiches

Yay!!! Summer is upon us and there is no end in sight. The endless possibilities of summer treats make me feel like I could bake forever! I have three pages of things I want to create and share with my loved ones. The fresh squeezed lemonade, strawberries and cream, fresh green salads… and watermelon! The flavors go on and on. For today I settled on Oranges and Honey. Yummy yummy!

I wanted a cookie that would be able to make a sort of “Dreamsicle” type Ice Cream Sandwich. SO, I made Orange Honey cookies and used some 1/2 fat vanilla bean ice cream for the filling. The ice cream complimented the cookies so well, you would think that the ice cream company had invented this cookie. Alas, it was I… just a simple baker.

 

So, you will need…

• 2 C. All Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 C. + 2 Tbsp. Canola Oil
• 1/4 C. Honey
• 1 C. Granulated Sugar
• 1 Tbsp. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice, yes, freshly squeezed!
• 1 Egg

Here was my process…

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl combine canola oil, honey, sugar, orange juice and egg. Beat with mixer of your choice until all ingredients are well combined.
4. Pour dry mixture into wet mixture and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. DO NOT over beat.
5. Spoon dough onto prepared baking sheets allowing room to spread.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 9-11 minutes, until sides are a lovely honey brown.
7. Remove from oven and let cool completely before creating a Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich!

These cookies are surprisingly delicious and work very well in this situation! They are also good on their own, or with milk. Milk and honey after all, are very good friends.

Happy Baking!

 

Popovers w/ Cinnamon Sugar Butter

Finally! I love Popovers and I am always referencing them… so… ta da! Here they are. I stuck to my fail safe version, nothing fancy. The key to any Popover is making sure that the eggs and the milk are at room temperature. Helps keep them all light and fluffy, the way they are meant to be!

We were having grilled  BBQ chicken and a green apple, blackberry and spinach salad for dinner. I felt that the lack of carbs would leave a huge hole on my table. Normally I wouldn’t care, but it is just that kind of week ;).

I wanted to eat bread without feeling like I was really “eating bread”. How perfect are Popovers for that feeling?! They are literally hollow. So, I whipped up some cinnamon sugar butter and that was that. Honestly, the cinnamon sugar butter complimented the complex flavors of the BBQ chicken. Really, you ought to try it!

So, you will need…

• 1 C. All purpose Flour
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 2 Large Eggs, at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp Butter, melted
• 1 1/4 C. Whole Milk, room temperature

Here was my process…

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, and prepare popover pan or muffin pan. Lightly grease the sides and dust with flour.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt.
3. In another medium bowl whisk together, the eggs, butter and milk until well blended.
4. Pour the egg mixture into the dry mixture and beat with a wooden spoon just until all ingredients are well incorporated.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, filling each tin half way full, and bake at 425 degrees F. for 30 minutes.
6. At 30 minutes, reduce heat to 375 degrees F and bake for another 15-20 minutes until tops are a rich golden brown.
7. Remove from oven, pierce the side of each popover to allow the steam to escape.
8. Serve as quickly as possible!

For the cinnamon sugar butter, just let butter reach room temperature and hen add a dash or two of cinnamon and a dash or two of sugar. mix until well blended. I usually take jam or honey with my popovers, but this felt like a fun thing to do. I love eating fun food!

So, next time it is time for a cook out at your house and you want to keep things “light”, take out that popover pan and give it a whirl. You just can’t go wrong!

Happy Baking!

Double Chocolate Coconut Cookies

I love coconut, but I am not a fan of chunks of it in my cookies! I love the tropical flavor and the how much fun it is to break one open. I also love Chocolate Chip cookies but you can only blog about the simple, yet delightful cookie so many times.

I was wandering through a little co-op type place in Randolph, Vermont when I found the solution to my cookie problem. Coconut Sugar?! As skeptical as I was, I bought it. I let it sit around for a week or so before I said, “What is the worst that can happen?” Fully knowing the answer I proceeded anyway. I mean, how terrible could it really be?

The cookies were amazing! The Coconut Sugar has the same effect as a brown sugar, and my cookies were buttery, crispy and chewy in the right places and an overall fantastic surprise.

So, you will need…

• 1 1/4 C. All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 C. Butter, softened
• 1/2 C. Coconut Sugar
• 6 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar
• 1 Large Egg White
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 C. White Chocolate Chips, for the best flavor look for the white Chips that contain Cocoa Butter 😉
• 1/2 C. Dark Chocolate Chips

Here was my process…

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl combine butter, coconut sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Feel free to use your mixer.
4. Add the egg white and vanilla. Beat until well combined.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients in increments of your choosing until everything is well mixed.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips.
7. Drop spoonfuls of dough on to prepared baking sheets allowing 2 or so inches between each cookie for expansion.
8. Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, at 350 degrees F for 10-13 minutes. Tops should be a rich golden brown, and somewhat firm to the touch.
9. Let stand for around 5 minutes, then remove to cooling rack.
10. Enjoy!

This is just a slight variation in ingredients, but a rather large variation in taste. served warm with a little  Talenti ‘Sea Salt Caramel’ Gelato or maybe a nice glass of Cupcake ‘Angel Food’ wine, or a classic glass of cold milk… no matter what, you will not be disappointed.

Happy Baking!

Framboise Dream Meringues

First of all I want to say Sorry for my absence. Sometimes a gal must roam!

Who doesn’t love a delicious Prosecco? Framboise Beer is a fantastic  Raspberry Belgian Craft Beer, and lets face it ladies, if we are going to drink beer, it might as well be fancy beer. This is the Prosecco of Beer.

So, for my comeback recipe, I made a delicious Meringue cookie with Framboise and white chocolate. It is truly divine! It is light and airy, yet chewy as all meringue should be. They are sweet and delicate, just like me.

So, you will need…

• 1/2 C. Confectioners Sugar, sifted
• 3 Large Egg Whites, at room Temperature
• 1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
• 1/3 C. Granulated Sugar
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Framboise Beer
• 1/2 C. White Chocolate Chips

Here was my process…

1. Preheat oven to 250 Degrees F and line two baking sheet with Parchment Paper
2. Sift the confectioners sugar onto a plate and set aside.
3. In a large bowl combine egg whites, cream of tartar and Framboise. Beat on medium until soft peaks form.
4. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat on medium high until stiff, glossy peaks form.
5. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the confectioners sugar, then fold in the white chips.
6. Drop the dough on the prepared baking sheets, you can sprinkle the baking sheets with powdered sugar to make them stick less, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
7. Bake at 250 degrees F for 55 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and let cool.

These are so much fun to eat, and you really do feel a twinge of sexy sophistication while eating them. Plus you won’t need more than one or two of this ladylike treat, which is good for the midsection. Put on your best night wear, throw on an old classic, pour a glass of Prosecco, and have yourself a treat.

After all, Life is but a Meringue…

Happy Baking!

Sweet and Spicy Cornbread

It is just starting to get a little bit warm around here, and so I have been cooking with fresh ingredients and loving every minute of it. I wanted to make some spicy spring chili with cornbread, but it just felt to boring! I love Cornbread and all, but geeze… it is really just a dull, dull bread. That can get very dry and tasteless if done wrong! Of course I am just not one of those people 😉

For Easter, the Easter Bunny (aka my mom!!!, yes, still…) brought me a guacamole basket filled with avocados, limes, tomatillos, Habanero peppers, chili peppers and jalapenos! We could only put so much in the guac, and then I made chicken tacos with some of them… they are damn spicy! So, I figured, why not Pump Up the Volume ( yes, I just went there) and pull a Christian Slater on this cornbread!

Sweet with honey (and love) and spicy with chilis! That would definitely be something to write about.

So, you will need…

• 1 1/4 C. All-Purpose flour
• 3/4 C.  Corn Meal
• 1/4 C. sugar
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 C. Milk
• 1/4 C. Canola Oil
• 2 Egg Whites, beaten (NOT WHOLE EGGS)
• 2 fresh jalapenos diced
• honey to drizzle over uncooked cornbread before baking, hence the sweet and spicy… just saying!

Here was my process…

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and grease preferred method of baking pan, dish, skillet, etc.
2. In a  large bowl combine flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix lightly, just until everything is combined.
3. Add Milk, Canola Oil and beaten egg whites. Mix well.
4. Add jalapeno, diced, chopped however you like them!
5. Spoon batter into prepared baking pan.
6. Drizzle honey over each piece. The honey will sink into the cornbread and create a delicious crust.
7. Bake for 20-22 minutes!

 

These are best served fresh, and don’t be afraid to add a bit more spice!

Happy Baking!

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

So, I was asked to make cupcakes for a birthday party, and I was very excited to have my first professional assignment.  I wanted to make something that everyone could enjoy, and vanilla seems like the one thing most people can all agree on. There are certainly some out there who don’t like vanilla, but they don’t have to eat my cupcakes now do they! 😉

This is a delicate cupcake that is perfect for any occasion. Paired with a simple icing made of confectioners sugar, milk and cream cheese… it is really just a delightfully simple cupcake.

So, you will need…

*Makes 16 cupcakes

• 1 C. Granulated Sugar
• 2 tbsp Vanilla Bean, ground
  
• 1 3/4 C. Cake flour
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 C. Butter, softened
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1/3 C. Sour Cream
• 1/4 C. Canola Oil
• 2/3 C. Milk
• 1 tbsp Vanilla, clear

Frosting

• 2 C. powdered Sugar
• 1/4 C.  Milk, more if needed
• 1/4 C. Cream Cheese

Mix all together using a hand blender. Add more milk if needed.

Here was my process…

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare cupcake pans.
2. In a  small bowl combine the vanilla bean and sugar, let sit for a while to allow the flavor of the vanilla bean to infuse the sugar.
3. In a medium bowl mix cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. Add the vanilla bean sugar to the flour mixture until well combined. You should be able to smell the delicious vanilla!
5. Add butter and mix until crumbles form.
6. In a small bowl whisk eggs. Then add sour cream, canola oil and vanilla, mix until smooth.
7. Add egg mixture to flour mixture until combined.
8. Slowly add milk until well mixed.
9. Fill prepared cupcake pans so that each cavity is half full. Believe me they will rise!
10. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 -17 minutes. Tops will not turn golden brown, so don’t over bake my little bakers!
11. Cool completely before icing.

So that is all, these are very tasty and great for any occasion.Remember, the tops should be a lovely white gold color, not any darker!

Happy Baking!