Friday, July 30, 2010

Repost: Feather-Light Donuts (with pictures)

Last month my amazing sister M informed me that June 4th, is National Donut day and we have the best recipe for you. Unfortunately, the first time we posted this recipe we had no pictures to post. But last Sunday I was really "craving" these delicious treats, so K was super sweet & made them for me. These donuts are so delicious as well as light & fluffy. You will just fall in love with them! Secret ingredient- mashed potatoes.

Recipe:
2 pkgs active dry yeast
1 1/2 C warm milk
1 C cold mashed potatoes
1 1/2 C sugar, divided
1/2 C vegetable oil
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
5 1/2- 6 C flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Oil for frying

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add potatoes, 1/2 C sugar, oil, salt, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and eggs.


Add enough flour to form a soft dough.


Place in a greased bowl for an hour turning once after the first 30 minutes. We could definitely tell our dough was rising because the seran wrap started bubbling out :-)


Punch dough down and roll on a flat surface. Cut into holes and place on a greased baking sheet.


Let rise for another 45 minutes.


Heat oil to 350 degrees. Be careful not to overheat your oil as you may burn the outside of the donut but leave the inside still very doughy. (Burned donuts = yucky smelling smoke!)


Fry donuts until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Roll in cinnamon or/and sugar while still warm. You can also drizzle your favorite icing.


This recipe makes about 2 1/2 dozen deliciously amazing donuts!! I love, love this donut recipe and so do our neighbors, friends, doorman... pretty much anyone who is around when we make these.

I had a hard time taking pictures because they just smelled so delicious. It's best to eat them right away but you can also store them for a day. If you're eating them the next day, warm them up for 5-10 seconds in the microwave and re-dip them in sugar. Enjoy!!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Our Favorite Gadgets: Perfect Boiled Eggs

We are creating a new blog post called "Our Favorite Gadgets". I (B) will start us off with one of my favorites.

I know you all will find me ridiculous but I can never consistently get boiled eggs. Sometimes I get them right on the dot, sometimes their still a little mushy. Don't get me wrong, I try all the tricks! I've even tried spinning the egg haha. We'll I love this little gadget called the Egg-Perfect Eggtimer that is just a few dollar but super amazing. You place it in the boiling water with your eggs and it will tell you when they are hard boiled. Love it!

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Better than Box Brownies


Don't get me wrong, I actually love box brownies (much to my mother's dismay), but these brownies beat them hands-down every time. Plus, they are super quick and easy to make. You can always add a little pizazz by serving them with ice cream and berries, or even adding chocolate chips and nuts. The next time you have a brownie craving tries these out and I guarantee you won't regret it!

Recipe:
1 2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 TBS water
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

In a mixing bowl beat together the sugar, butter, water, eggs and vanilla


In a separate bowl mix together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix well.

Spread the batter evenly in a greased and lightly floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-25min until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let the brownies cool for a few minutes, then cut them into squares and enjoy! These make a quick dessert that is always a crowd pleaser. They are nice and chewy like box brownies, but they are more decadent and delicious. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Enjoy!