Homemade Doughnuts

Two of our grandchildren spent a weekend at our house with us recently and I thought it would be fun to make doughnuts together to enjoy with our breakfast.  Our grandson has a gluten free diet regimen, so I went to my online baking needs source, King Arthur Flour and found an easy mix for baked doughnuts.  I had doughnut pans from a previous purchase so we were nearly set. When baking doughnuts with children, sprinkles are essential. Nuts.com has bulk nuts, dried fruits and snacks for all of your baking needs and they deliver quickly and are very cost friendly. Not to mention the box your order comes in will give you a smile! Check it out for yourself!😉

After mixing the dough, we made a pastry bag out of a ziplock bag, put in the dough, snipped a corner from the bottom, and slowly squeezed the dough into our pan that had been sprayed with baking spray.  We baked them according to the box instructions, removed from oven and let them cool for ten minutes.  

We made our own icing by mixing confectioners sugar, water and a tablespoon of vanilla until it was the consistency we needed for dipping our doughnuts.  

Dip and twist was our method, place on aluminum foil and sprinkle liberally.  

Last step......bite and enjoy! 

My sweet helper💞

Putting on the sprinkles is the best part!

Come in out of the cold for a Hot Chocolate Bar

King Arthur Flour

 Make Hot Chocolate for everyone this weekend.  

Take it a step further and make your own Hot Chocolate on a Stick for Family and Friends.  Trust me when I say it will be a fun twist on this favorite cold weather drink.  Do this the day before.  Make this recipe for individual hot chocolates and it should make enough for 3 dozen. If you don't feel like hot chocolate, satisfy your chocolate cravings and eat the chocolate right off the stick.   Once the hot chocolate recipe is completed, please spoon into small Dixie cups.   Let the chocolate set for a day, peel the paper cup away and place the chocolate on a platter.  (If you have time, place each chocolate piece into a small clear bag and tie with a ribbon to place in a basket. Nice presentation). This is a fun activity for the kids too.  They will love watching the chocolate melt in their mug of milk. 

The recipe is from  King Arthur Flour.  Go to the website, click recipes and type in Cocoa Blocks.  

20 Minutes to Make! 12 Hours to Set.  Here's How.

1/2 cup heavy cream, 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk, 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, 3/4 cups unsweetened baking chocolate, wooden sticks (from craft store or art area in store). 

Heat the cream and condensed milk over low heat in a pan until steaming.  Remove from the heat and add the chocolate; allowing it to gently melt.  

After about 10 minutes, return the chocolate mixture to low heat to completely melt the chocolate.  Whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick and shiny.  

Spoon the chocolate into the individual cups (1" high)

Put a wooden stick into each cup (the stick will lean and harden this way. )

Set overnight or at least 12 hours.  

Peel off Dixie cups, set out a variety of mugs, a couple of Pump Thermoses from www.thermos.com filled with hot milk, and place the chocolate into your hot mug of milk.  Stir and enjoy an awesome cup of hot chocolate.  Don't forget the Whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles!

Stay warm and may you all have a safe & Happy 2016.

Welcome Back Pumpkin

It seems each Fall, my love for pumpkin EVERYTHING comes out!  I bring out my pumpkin candles, begin baking pumpkin scones, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies (my Mom loved this recipe and baked it for years for us), and we all make a date to gather at our local pumpkin farm for hayrides, and try to make our way through the corn maze.  Everyone chooses their favorite pumpkin for carving (or in some cases, painting).  It wouldn't be a visit to the pumpkin farm without picking out a favorite homemade jam or jelly,  salsa, or my favorite, the taffy apples.  Do you have a favorite Fall tradition?

I posted the recipe for my Mom's pumpkin cookies below.  Enjoy!

Photo Cookie Madness

King Arthur Flour
Check out kingarthurflour for recipes

King Arthur Flour

Once Upon a Chef
Check out .onceuponachef for delicious recipes

Mom's Pumpkin and Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 cups unsifted flour, 2 cups quick oats, uncooked, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon sat, 1 1/2 cups soft butter, 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin, 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Combine flour, oats, soda, cinnamon and salt and set aside. Cream the butter and gradually add sugar, beat until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla.  Combine with the dry ingredients and pumpkin.  Drop on ungreased baking sheet (I like to use a sheet of parchment paper on the baking sheet to prevent burning the cookies) 3 inches apart.  

Bake at 10-12 minutes at 350.

*Happy birthday to my mother in law Dorothy.  You are missed more than I can say.

"Hug in a Dish"

Erica Hill, the new weekend anchor of the  NBC Today Show recently showed a recipe her family has named, "Hug in a Dish".  I have always been a fan of macaroni and cheese and the dish looked like one I needed to try out in my kitchen.  The recipe makes a 13 x 9 pan so it's enough for a few people.  I tried it out on my family this week and we loved it.  The blend of sharp cheddar and the mild flavor of Gruyere gives it exceptional flavor.  The toasted breadcrumbs on top adds nice crunch and texture.  It's a great dish for the weekend.  If you aren't a huge fan of grating cheese yourself, you can purchase the cheese preshredded or simply cut into small cubes.  Works just as well.  

Ingredients:

1 -2 lbs. fusilli pasta
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 - 2 cups milk at room temperature (2% is best)
10 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese (grated or cut into small cubes)
10 ounces Gruyere cheese, cut into small cubes or grated
3/4 teaspoons paprika
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoons ground pepper
1/2 - 3/4 cups bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 and lightly spray 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray.

Cook and drain pasta according to package.
In heavy saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter, constantly stirring.  Once liquefied, it should look creamy.  Don't let it turn brown.  Add flour and blend mixture together, using a large spoon or whisk.
While whisking, slowly add about 1/2 cup of milk to mixture.  Once blended, add about 1/3 of the cheese.  Stir until cheese melts.  Keep stirring so cheese won't burn.  Add spices, then more cheese and milk in batches.

Once cheese mixture is melted and delicious, add cooked pasta to the cheese and mix well.  Pour into the 13 x 9 baking dish, top with bread crumbs and bake until the crumbs are golden and cheese is bubbling...for about 20-30 minutes.