Category Archives: Pastries

You Are The Apple Of My Eye

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Last month I made an amazing, flaky, delicious pie crust with PreppyKitchen’s recipe. QC and I then made the best chicken pot pie ever!

We are making an apple pie for Thanksgiving and wanted to try the crust again. Not everything went as smoothly as the first try. (I believe when mixing the dough in the food processor I did not add enough water.) The dough held together when testing it, but just barely. When I tried to form a cohesive ball on the counter it wouldn’t come together, I should have popped it back into the food processor and added another tablespoon or two, but like a golf shot where I notice the club face isn’t aligned correctly, I assume I can fix it on the downswing.

I also had issues making an aluminum foil pie ring. I cut three pieces of foil 3” wide and folded them around the edge of the pie crust. They wouldn’t stay on and I had to adjust them several times. Since then I saw how to cut a single large hole one piece of foil, to cover the edge and leave the center open.Next time.

After freezing the dough I wet my hands and gently kneaded the dough as little as possible to have it come together so I could roll it out. It worked, but I probably lost some of the flakiness.

(This pie is for internal consumption and review by the QC Cadre, not for Thanksgiving dinner. I can take the well deserved criticism.)

I used apple pie filling that I made and froze after visiting Apple Hill in September. I froze it in a plastic film lined pie plate so it would perfectly fit into the par-baked pie shell. Apparently, I used a different pie-plate today. The resultant pie looked good. I guess I fixed in on my downswing.

The pie was baked at 425F for 30 minutes. The edges were covered and the pie was baked an additional 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reached 195F.

Pie Crust – PreppyKitchen

INGREDIENTS
• 360g (3 c) all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbl sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 227g (1 c) cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
• 4 to 6 Tbl ice water

METHOD

  1. In the work bowl of a food processor, combine 1½ cups of flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine.
  2. Add half of the butter. Process until very crumbly and starting to ball up, about 30 seconds. Scatter in the remaining butter and the remaining 1½ cups of flour. Pulse 2 times just to distribute.
  3. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture. Pulse a few times. Add more water, a tablespoon at a time, as needed, and pulse once or twice after each addition. The mixture should easily stick together when squeezed, but not feel wet or dry.
  4. Transfer the dough onto the counter and form it into a ball. Cut the ball in half and press each half into a disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. (Don’t worry if the dough seems `dry. The flour will hydrate as it rests in the fridge.) The disks can also be frozen for a few months and thawed in the fridge overnight before using.

    To Blind or Par-Bake:
  5. If required, prepare the crust as directed in the recipe until it’s ready to use.
  6. Roll the pie crust into a 14-inch circle and line a pie-pan with the dough. Fold the ends under and crimp the edges as desired. Poke the bottom all over with the tines of a fork. Freeze for 30 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, position an oven rack in the bottom third and preheat the oven to 425⁰F.
  8. Once the oven is hot, remove the pie from the freezer and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Line with a square of parchment paper. (I find it useful to crumple the parchment paper then smooth out. Repeating the crumple/smooth helps make the parchment paper more pliable.) Add enough dried beans or pie weights to fill the center.
  9. Bake for 20 minutes. Peek under the parchment by carefully lifting an edge. If the bottom of the crust is pooled with melted butter, cook for another 5 minutes. (It should still appear wet and underbaked.)
  10. Remove the pie crust from the oven. Carefully lift out the parchment paper and weights and set them aside to cool. At this point, your pie crust is par-baked and could be used in recipes that call for partially baking the crust before filling. (If a shiny crust is desired, you can brush the crust all over with egg wash.)

    To Blind Bake:
  11. Return the crust to the oven and continue baking until the bottom appears dry and begins to brown, about 10 more minutes.
  12. Let the pie crust cool completely before filling.

Freezing Apples for Apple Pie

INGREDIENTS

• 5 cups Apples peeled & sliced apples (amount may vary)
• 1 quart Water to prevent browning apples
• 2 teaspoon salt to prevent browning apples
• ½ cup Sugar for pie filling
• ½ teaspoon Cinnamon for pie filling
• 3 Tablespoons flour for pie filling
• 1 pinch salt for pie filling

METHOD

  1. Freezing Apples for Pie Filling
  2. Peel, core and slice apples into a salt water soak. About 2 teaspoon salt dissolved in 1 quart water. This will prevent browning apples.
  3. When all apples are sliced let them soak about 5 minutes and drain well.
  4. Place apples in your pie plate to be sure you have the right amount. Pack them in and mound them up. I like lots of apples in my apple pie!
  5. Remove these apples to a bowl, add sugar cinnamon mixture and mix to coat. ½ cup sugar, ½ tsp. cinnamon, 3 Tbsp flour, Dash of salt
  6. Lay an oversized piece of foil or plastic wrap in your pie plate. You want enough to wrap around all of the apple filling.
  7. Put the apples back into your lined pie plate. Include all the sugar mixture. Wrap the foil sides up and around the pie filling. If needed add another layer of foil or plastic wrap to be sure it is all covered.
  8. Place the pie plate and contents in the freezer and allow to freeze.
  9. When it is frozen take the wrapped pie filling out of the pie plate and place in freezer bag or wrap in freezer paper.
  10. Remove air, seal, and label. Put back in the freezer for later baking.

Key Lime Tart

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QC’s Mah Jongg group played at our house and you know what that means… an excuse to bake! This time I made an 8” key lime tart with raspberry coulis and Italian meringue.

(After I piped the meringue I realized I made an octopus-tart.)

Gluten Free Key Lime Tart Using Kim’s Bread Flour

Yield: 12 – 2 ½“ tartlet shells or1 8” tart shell

INGREDIENTS
SHELL
• 100 g cold butter cut into small cubes
• 60 g icing sugar
• 200 g Kim’s Bread flour
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 eggs – 1 for the dough and the other 1 reserved for an egg wash

FILLING
• zest (grated rind) of 1 lime
• 4 large egg yolks
• 14-ounce can (397g) sweetened condensed milk, (1 1/4 cups)
• 3/4 cup (170g) Key lime juice
• Juice of 1 lime
METHOD
SHELL

  1. Mix butter with sugar until well incorporated 3-5 min
  2. Add salt then vanilla.
  3. Add egg and mix 3-5 min
  4. Stir in flour. Mix by hand until incorporated and forms a thick smooth(ish) sticky dough
  5. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 min.
  6. Butter or lightly spray tartlet pans or use non-stick pans.
  7. Roll dough between parchment paper to about ⅛” thick
  8. Refrigerate rolled dough still between parchment paper until firm: 20 – 30 minutes
  9. Remove from fridge and while still firm, cut dough to rounds about 1” larger diameter than the mold. 2 ½” tart mold requires a 3” cutter. Cut all the rounds at once while still firm. If necessary, return to the fridge to firm up. Again, if necessary, use an offset spatula to remove the circles from the parchment paper. Keep the spatula clean.
  10. Lay tart dough circles over molds. This allows the dough to thaw slightly, then gently press into the molds and fill all crevices.
  11. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  12. Return to fridge for 15 – 20 min to firm up the shell
  13. Prick holes in bottom of formed dough
  14. Place a mini cupcake paper in each tart and fill with with pastry weights (or beans)
  15. Paint edges of the tartlet with an egg-white wash. (Whisk one egg white with 1 Tbl water)
  16. Bake in preheated oven 350 deg F (175 C) for 12 min until edges are dry
  17. Remove pastry weights and bake an additional 6-10 minutes to dry the bottoms. Bake until the edges begin to turn light brown and the bottom is nearly dry.
  18. Immediately remove from pans and cool on a wire rack

FILLING

  1. Whisk the lime zest and egg yolks at high speed of an electric mixer for about 4 minutes. The mixture will lighten in color and thicken somewhat, appearing similar to Hollandaise sauce.
  2. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk, mixing until smooth. Beat at high speed for 3 minutes; the filling will become slightly thicker and gain a bit of volume.
  3. Add the key lime juice, stirring just to combine. The mixture will thicken again. Add lime oil to taste.
  4. PIPE the filling into the crust and return the tart (on the baking sheet) to the oven. Bake the tart for 12 to 18 minutes, until it appears set around the edges though still a bit wobbly in the center. The center should read about 145°F on a digital thermometer.
  5. Remove the tart from the oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
  6. Once chilled, serve the key lime pies cold with whipped cream, or merengue and a lime slice or zest, if desired.
  7. Store leftover pies in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 1 week. If they last that long!

ITALIAN MERINGUE (NOTE: Alternatively use whipped cream)

INGREDIENTS
• 80g (or 0.4 cup or 6.5 Tbl) granulated sugar
• 30ml (or 1/8 cup) water
• 60g (or ¼ cup) egg whites (about 2 large egg whites)
• 20 g icing sugar

METHOD

  1. Whisk the egg whites into a light and fluffy foam, using an electric (stand) mixer.
  2. Add the icing sugar and continue whipping until you’ve got a glossy stable foam. It should stay in place if you turn the bowl upside down. Set aside.
  3. Add the granulated sugar and water to a pan and bring to a boil. Once all the sugar has dissolved, refrain from stirring. Continue boiling at moderate/high heat while continuously keeping an eye on the temperature.
  4. Once the solution has reached 121°C (250°F), take it from the heat immediately*.
  5. While SLOWLY whisking the egg whites, gently, slowly, pour the hot sugar solution into the whipped egg whites (this is where the stand mixer comes in handy!).
  6. Once all the sugar syrup is in, turn up the speed to high and continue whisking until the foam is lukewarm.
  7. Use the meringue immediately to top whatever it is you want to cover.

Kim’s Gluten Free Bread Flour Blend

Yield: 700g (5 c)
INGREDIENTS

  • 285g Bob’s Red Mill potato starch
  • 250g superfine white rice flour (DON’T use regular rice flour, ie Bob’s Red Mill)
  • 75g Tapioca flour
  • 75g Whey protein isolate or egg white protein.
  • 15g Xanthan gum

METHOD

  1. Weigh all ingredients and add to a stand mixer bowl
  2. Mix on low, with bowl covered for 30 seconds

Just Another Day Off From Golf

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It’s a dangerous thing taking a day off from golf. I wanted to make more berry drop scones for a couple of weeks, but never seemed to find the time, until today when there was no golf on my schedule..

We also had no snacks for after dinner so I decided to make Millionaires Shortbread Cookies this afternoon to be ready for dessert. It’s good to have a plan and to execute it properly.

Apple Cheese Danish

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For months I ignored a single sheet of puff pastry in the fridge. Today, after making two apple pie fillings I had apples remaining…

What could I do?

Pretty simple pastry to make. The directions from ACozyKitchen were spot on. (I used Trader Joe’s puff pastry for this, but plan on making my own later this week, time permitting.)

Apple Cheese Danish

INGREDIENTS
For the Filling:
• 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
• 2 Tbl ricotta or mascarpone cheese
• 1 lemon zest and juice, divided
• Pinch kosher salt
• 5 Tbl white granulated sugar divided
• 2 apples (such as Honey crisp, Braeburn or Gala)
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
For the Assembly and Icing:
• 1 box puff pastry
• ¾ cup powdered sugar sifted
• 1 tablespoon whole milk

METHOD
To Make the Filling:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400⁰ F.
  2. In a medium bowl, place the cream cheese, ricotta, lemon zest, vanilla, salt, 4 tablespoons of sugar and mix until smooth, using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Set aside.
  3. Peel and slice your apples into 1/4-inch slices. In a small bowl toss them with the remaining 1 tablespoon of juice from the one lemon, sugar, and cinnamon.
    To Assemble the Cheese Danish:
  4. Carefully unfold 1 sheet of defrosted puff pastry and roll slightly with a floured rolling pin until it’s about 1/4-inch in thickness. I trimmed mine so it was a 11″ x 8″ rectangle. Transfer the sheet of puff pastry to a piece of parchment that’s on a baking sheet.
  5. At an angle, slice off the top corners and cut two notches in the bottom. Slice 1-inch strips diagonally down both sides of the puff pastry, leaving the center uncut. Try to cut the same number of strips on both sides. I had about 8 strips per side.
  6. Add three tablespoons of cream cheese filling, spreading it evenly down the center of the puff pastry. Top with apple slices.
  7. Fold in the bottom and top flaps. Braid the puff pastry, by folding the strips over the filing, alternating sides, until you’ve worked your way down the puff pastry. Using your knife, trim off any leftover strips or extra dough.
  8. Transfer the danish to the freezer to chill for 15 minutes.
  9. Brush with egg wash liberally.
  10. Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until puffed up and golden brown.

Crumb Cake Donuts – Sally’s Baking Addiction Monthly Challenge

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I am often asked “Why don’t you open a bake shop?” (Then it wouldn’t be a hobby.) Or, “Why don’t you enter a baking contest? (Because if I don’t have a recipe in front of me, I am useless.)

I have followed Sally’s Baking Addiction for quite a while. She is one of the several that I refer to when I need advice or another opinion (not that anyone knows they are doing this for me.) For nebulous reasons I entered Sally’s monthly challenge this week. First, she provides the recipe, second I can bake in my own kitchen at my own pace

Also, I like baked, cake donuts and these are good ones. There are a lot of ingredients, but nothing too challenging. The method does not have a lot steps and the donuts come together quickly. The instructions were spot on and the results excellent.

Crumb Cake Donuts

INGREDIENTS
Crumb Topping
• 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (140g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)

Donuts
• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup (135g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (120ml) milk, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (120g) plain yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• confectioners’ sugar for dusting

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray donut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
  2. Make the crumb topping: Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter using a fork, then add the flour. Mix and crumble with a fork. Set aside.
  3. Make the donuts: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Set aside. Whisk the melted butter, eggs, brown sugar, milk, yogurt, and vanilla together until completely combined.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix. The batter will be very thick.
  5. Pipe the batter into the donut cavities filling about halfway. Grab a handful of crumb-topping and press down onto the batter of each donut. Pressing it snug into the batter helps prevent the crumb coating from falling off the donuts. (If you only have 1 donut pan, keep the remaining batter in the bowl at room temperature until you can bake the next batch.)
  6. Bake for 10-11 minutes or until the edges and tops are lightly browned. Allow to cool for about two minutes then transfer to a wire rack set on a large piece of parchment paper. Bake the remaining donut batter and once baked, transfer to the wire rack. Dust the tops of each with a light coating of confectioners’ sugar, if desired.
  7. Donuts are best served immediately. Leftovers keep well covered tightly at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 2 days.


Freezing Instructions: Freeze the baked and cooled donuts for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm up to your liking in the microwave.

Blueberry Drop Scones

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I had a couple of cups of blueberries in the fridge that were complaining about being ignored, so I made them into drop scones for breakfast yesterday. Actually, I froze half of them so they will continue to be enjoyed for a while. They thaw on the counter and are as fresh as new.

Berry Drop Scones


INGREDIENTS

  • 2 ½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup (67g) sugar
  • Zest of 1 small lemon (or orange or lime)
  • ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
  • 150-175g berries. Use any berries that you like.
  • 1 cup heavy cream + extra if required
  • Coarse or turbinado sugar for topping

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and zest. Pulse a few times to incorporate.
  3. Add the cubed butter and pulse to incorporate. The mixture should resemble very coarse sand.
  4. Empty the flour mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the cream and stir until just barely incorporated. Add additional cream by the tablespoon to help the dough come together
  5. Gently fold in the berries. (It’s fine if the raspberries or blackberries break up a little – it adds a nice pink stain to the dough.) The dough should just be moist, not wet, but also
    not crumbly or powdery looking. If it looks too dry, add a tablespoon of cold water.
  6. Spoon the dough into 12 equally sized pieces on the parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle some coarse or turbinado sugar over the top, if desired.
  7. Bake for 16-19 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The scones should be lightly golden and cooked through. I rotate the pan after 10 minutes
  8. Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes then carefully remove to a cooling rack

Strawberry Mango Margarita Cupcakes

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I saw this recipe on Facebook and decided to make it for QC’s Mah Jongg group. I made a number of changes from the published recipe and they are incorporated below.

Next time I’ll punch the flavors up as mango is not a strong flavor and can be overpowered by the strawberry. The tequila didn’t add much either, so maybe a little lime in the cupcake batter would add some punch. (No coconut, so it cannot be “Put the lime in the coconut.”

The were pretty and were well received by the group. I always make a gluten free selection so added some crème patisserie/chocolate ganache topped with chopped pistachio nuts, and had some eclair shells in the freezer that I needed to use up and had the crème patisserie and chocolate ganache anyway and finally, plums from our tree as the season is now over.

Strawberry Mango Margarita Cupcakes

Makes 48 mini-cupcakes

INGREDIENTS :
Cupcakes:
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups caster sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups full cream milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pink and red food gel (for strawberry color)
• 2-3 tsp strawberry freeze-dried powder
• Yellow food gel (for mango color)
• 2-3 tsp mango freeze-dried powder
• 8-10 tsp tequila (optional)
Frosting:
• 1 batch American or Swiss Meringue Buttercream
• Food gels: Pink and red for strawberry; yellow for mango
• Flavorings: Strawberry and mango freeze-dried powder
Decorations:
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 10 limes, cut into 40 wedges
• 10 strawberries, halved

METHOD:

  1. Preheat oven to 275°F (140°C) for fan-forced or 320°F (160°C) for conventional.
  2. Line two mini cupcake tins with liners and spray with bakers spray.
  3. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Add butter and mix until crumbly.
  5. In another bowl, combine eggs, milk, oil, yogurt, tequila, and vanilla; mix well.
  6. Fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until well combined.
  7. Divide the batter into two portions.
  8. Separately, by hand, mix each freeze-dried powder with 3-4 teaspoons of tequila
  9. Add pink and red food gels and strawberry flavoring to one portion. Mix by hand.
  10. Add yellow food gel and mango flavoring to the other portion. Mix by hand.
  11. Pipe alternating layers of strawberry and mango batter into the liners.
  12. Bake for 10–15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
  13. Prepare the buttercream frosting, dividing it into two portions.
  14. Add pink and red food gels and strawberry flavoring to one portion.
  15. Add yellow food gel and mango flavoring to the other portion.
  16. Dip the rims of the cooled cupcakes in water, then roll in granulated sugar to mimic a margarita glass.
  17. Pipe frosting in swirls on each cupcake, alternating between strawberry and mango flavors.
  18. Decorate each cupcake with a lime wedge and a strawberry half.

GF Berry – White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Tart

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We are going to a friends birthday luncheon today and QC and I thought a nice summery berry tart would be a nice dessert on a warm sunny day.

There were choices and challenges to this bake. The choice was, should I make a Berry Chantilly Cake or this tart. The tart won, but don’t feel bad, summer is a long time.

The challenge is our refrigerator died yesterday so we spent the afternoon buying and installing and transferring out food to a small refrigerator. While it is a bit inconvenient it’s only for a couple of weeks, and I only have one more required bake. (Note: required.)

I had some left over strawberries so dipped some in chocolate to add around the tart.

INGREDIENTS
Shell
• 100 g cold butter cut into small cubes
• 60 g icing sugar
• 200 g Kim’s Bread flour
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 eggs – 1 for the dough and the other 1 reserved for an egg wash
Filling:
• 1 (12 ounce) package white chocolate chips, melted and cooled
• ¼ c heavy cream
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
Topping:
• 2 c fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1 c fresh blueberries
• 1 c fresh raspberries
Glaze:
• 1 c water
• ½ c white sugar
• 2 Tbl cornstarch
• 2 Tbl corn syrup

METHOD
Shell

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease a 12-inch tart pan.
  2. Pulse flour, sugar and salt a few times to combing
  3. Add cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand
  4. Add egg and pulse until the dough just comes together but does not clump into a ball.
  5. Chill in fridge for an hour.
  6. Roll dough between sheets of wax paper until ~2 inches wider and longer than the tart pan (It needs to cover the bottom and all sides of the pan,) then refrigerate for 15-30 minutes
  7. Spray tart pan and flip chilled sheet of dough onto the pan and press into all corners. Dock the dough on the bottom of the pan.
  8. Fill with baking beads and bake 15-20 minutes, until the dough is dry and the edges begin to brown.
  9. Take from oven and remove parchment paper.
  10. Egg wash the edges of the tart.
  11. Return to oven and bake crust until lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
    Filling
  12. Beat melted and cooled white chocolate and heavy cream in a bowl until smooth. Mix in cream cheese until thoroughly combined. Spread over cooled crust. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
    Glaze
  13. Combine 1/2 cup water and white sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix remaining 1/2 cup water and cornstarch together in a bowl until cornstarch dissolves; add to sugar mixture. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and clears, about 5 minutes. Stir in corn syrup and return to a boil. Remove glaze from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
    Topping
  14. Arrange strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries over cream cheese layer and brush with glaze. Chill for at least 1 hour; store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Kim’s Gluten Free Bread Flour Blend
Yield: 700g (5 c)
INGREDIENTS

  • 285g Bob’s Red Mill potato starch
  • 250g superfine white rice flour (DON’T use regular rice flour, ie Bob’s Red Mill)
  • 75g Tapioca flour
  • 75g Whey protein isolate or egg white protein.
  • 15g Xanthan gum
    METHOD
  1. Weigh all ingredients and add to a stand mixer bowl
  2. Mix on low, with bowl covered for 30 seconds

A Bright Golden Haze on the Donut.

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I retrieved my deep fryer from storage planning to make some jelly donuts. Well, I did and they were a total disaster. I faithfully followed the recipe, which apparently was deeply flawed and a deeply dejected baker binned the result.

To make myself feel better I made beignets which were fantastic. That pulled me half way out of the well of despair. This morning I made glazed donuts (all of which were on my baking bucket list) and I finally gasped the clear cool air of success.

I also had a half recipe of beignets, the dough of which I stored in the refrigerator overnight to see if they can be made a few at a time for a day or two. They were just as good today.

(Revisiting jelly donuts next time the fryer rears its ugly head.)

Glazed Donuts

INGREDIENTS
• 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast (not active dry yeast)
• ¾ cup warm water
• ⅓ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2½ to 3 cups all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil (for frying)
Glaze
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup milk
• 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add yeast 1 Tbl (of the ⅓ cup of sugar,) and warm water. Let stand for 10 minutes. Add sugar, salt, unsalted butter, egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract. Attach the flat beater and mix on low speed to combine.
  2. Switch to the dough hook and add 2½ cups flour, half a cup at a time while the stand mixer is on low speed. Knead on low until the dough starts to form. If the dough is still very sticky add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be somewhat tacky, but not sticky.
  3. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Make sure to place the bowl in a draft free, warm spot in your kitchen. Allow it to rise for 2 hours.
  4. Gently press in the middle of the dough to deflate. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight.
  5. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about ½ inch thick. Use a 3½ – 4” round donut cutter or a large round cookie cutter to cut circles out of the dough. Use a 1” round cutter to cut out the center of the donut (donut holes). Place the cut-out donuts and donut holes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly cover with plastic wrap, and then drape a clean dry towel over the top and allow to rest for 1 hour (no more than 1 hour or the dough will start to get too yeasty).
  6. In a large Dutch oven filled with 2 to 3 inches of vegetable oil over medium heat, bring the temperature of the oil up to 330-340°F.
  7. Carefully place the donuts into the hot oil and allow to cook on each side until golden brown. Work in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pot.
  8. Carefully remove the cooked donuts and place them on a baking sheet lined with paper towels and a cooling rack. Repeat the steps until all of the donuts have been cooked.

Glaze

  1. In a separate mixing bowl combine powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Use a whisk to combine until no lumps remain. Carefully lower each slightly cooled donut (one at a time) into the glaze. Gently flip the donut to coat the other side. Return the donuts back to the cooling rack and allow the glaze to set, for about 10 minutes.

I Wish I Was In New Orleans. (Not really)

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Tom Waits wrote: “Well, I wish I was in New Orleans, I can see it in my dreams,
Arm-in-arm down Burgundy, a bottle and my friends and me.”

I wrote: “I made beignets this morning and ate nearly enough to be sick, but not enough to be sick of them. I promised myself I would give them a try after I bought my deep fryer. Why, oh why did I wait so long?“

These were spot on for Cafe du Monde beignets. QC just sort of sighed when she ate hers. One of my Neighborhood QC Cadre said: “Oh my!!!! Unimaginably delicious.”

Beignets

INGREDIENTS
• 3/4 c warm water between 110⁰F
• 100 g (1/2 c) granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 envelope)
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 120ml (1/2 c) room temperature milk
• 10 ml (2 tsp) vanilla extract
• 450 g (3 3/4 c) All Purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 42 g (3 Tbl) room temperature unsalted butter
• vegetable oil for deep frying or peanut oil
• 60 g (1/2 c) powdered sugar

METHOD

  1. Add the warm water to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl if making this by hand or an electric mixer. Add the yeast and half the sugar then set aside for about 5 minutes to the yeast can get to work.
  2. Measure out 3 ¾ cups of flour and mix with the teaspoon of salt and set aside.
  3. Once the yeast mixture is bubbly, pour in the milk, vanilla, remaining sugar, and add the egg. Whisk together then add half the flour mixture and whisk together until smooth.
  4. Attach a dough hook then add the remaining flour and begin mixing on medium speed, once the dough comes together add the butter and keep mixing until the dough is smooth and will pull away from the bowl, about 4 minutes. This dough is enriched and sticky but if it seems too wet you can mix in an extra ¼ cup of flour.
  5. Transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl then cover and allow to rise in a warm place for at least two hours, you can also store the dough in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. (Dough weighs 926 g.)
  6. Add about 3 inches of oil to a large pot fitted with a candy thermometer and place over medium-high heat. Cover a wire cooling rack with a few layers of paper towels.
  7. Once risen, roll the dough into a ½ inch thick rectangle on a well floured surface. Cut into 2-2 ½ inch squares using a pizza cutter.
  8. Once the oil reaches 360⁰F add the beignets 3-4 at a time; fry until the bottom is puffed and golden ( 1 – 1½ minutes,) flip over and remove with a spider or slotted spoon once the bottom is golden too.
  9. Place onto the paper towels then dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!