Daring Bakers October Challenge - Doughnuts

The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

Hmmm donuts, they are delicious and best when freshly cooked...and after completing this challenge I am very scared....scared of this new found skill...they are SOOOO NICE!!!!!

The challenge gave the option of a few different styles of donuts - 

The yeast doughnut 

The cake doughnut 

The raspberry jam bomboloni 

The pumpkin doughnuts  

I chose to make the yeast doughnuts and was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was. I tossed them in cinnamon and caster sugar and also had a go at filling some with raspberry jam sauce.

This recipe is from the The Food Network.

  

Yeast Doughnuts:Preparation time:
Hands on prep time - 25 minutes
Rising time - 1.5 hours total
Cooking time - 12 minutesYield: 20 to 25 doughnuts & 20 to 25 doughnut holes, depending on size 
Ingredients

• Milk 1.5 cup / 360 ml
• Vegetable Shortening (Copha)  70 gm  (can substitute butter, margarine or lard)
• Active Dry Yeast 4.5 teaspoon (2 pkg.)  14 gm
• Warm Water  80 ml (95°F to 105°F / 35°C to 41°C)
• 2 Eggs, Large, beaten
• White Granulated Sugar (white sugar) ¼ cup
• Table Salt 1.5 teaspoon 7.5 ml  Nutmeg, grated 1 tsp
• All Purpose Flour (plain flour) 4 2/3 cup  + extra for dusting surface
• Canola Oil DEPENDS on size of vessel you are frying in – you want THREE (3) inches of oil (can substitute any flavorless oil used for frying)
• Caster sugar 1 1/2 cups
• Cinnamon 2 Tablespoons

 Directions:

1. Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warm enough to melt the shortening when you add them together.
2. Place the shortening in a bowl and pour warmed milk over. Set aside. (Make sure the shortening is melted so that it incorporates well into the batter.)
3. In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let dissolve for 5 minutes. It should get foamy. After 5 minutes, pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer and add the milk and shortening mixture, first making sure the milk and shortening mixture has cooled to lukewarm.
4. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and half of the flour. Using the paddle attachment of your mixer (if you have one), combine the ingredients on low speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and beat until well combined.Add the remaining flour, combining on low speed at first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well.
5. Change to the dough hook attachment of the mixer and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes (for me this only took about two minutes). If you do not have a dough hook/stand mixer – knead until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
6. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 3/8-inch (9 mm)thick. (Make sure the surface really is well-floured otherwise your doughnuts will stick to the counter).Cut out dough using a 2 1/2-inch (65 mm) doughnut cutter or pastry ring or drinking glass and using a 7/8-inch (22 mm) ring for the center whole. ( I used a apple corer to get a smaller circle) Set on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with a tea towel, and let rise for 30 minutes. 
7. Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 365 °F/185°C.Gently place the doughnuts into the oil, 3 to 4 at a time. Cook for 1 minute per side or until golden brow. 
8. Place on a cake cooling rack with a track underneath to catch any drips. Toss into a tray with caster sugar and cinnamon mixture. 

 

Notes:

• Get your hands on a "candy" thermometer as you will need to bring the oil up to 185'c and this is the easiest way. I used my Chef's Toolbox Digital Timer which has a probe that you can place in the oven/liquid and the alarm will sound when it reaches the set temperature - very handy! 
• The cooking part of this recipe is very dangerous, the oil is extremely hot so it not recommended for children. My husband helped me with this stage and it was easier to have a second pair of hands. 
• Use a metal slotted spoon when frying the doughnuts as the high temperature will melt any plastic spoons.
• The doughnut holes are a great smaller option! Just shorten the time in the oil.

Linked to:

Get your Craft on @ Today's Creative Blog 
Tasty Tuesdays @ A Beautiful Mess 
Strut your stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple 
Show off your stuff @ Fireflies and Jellybeans

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

I am glad to part of a new blogging community called The Cake Slice Blog, this group has just starting baking from a new book. For the next 12 months we are going to be baking from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman. We vote online for the next months cake, the cake is kept a secret until the 20th of the month when everyone is able to reveal their creation on their blogs. 

This month's cake was Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pound Cake, the recipe called for a can of pumpkin puree which I have never come across here in Australia! So freshly steamed pumpkin was chosen instead. Its a really moist cake and has a lovely cinnamon flavour to it as well. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
(Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman)
Ingredients
1¾ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cloves
Pinch nutmeg
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1¼ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Method
Heat the oven to 350F. Coat the inside of a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl.
Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.
With the mixer on medium low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Stir in the milk.
Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, invert it onto a wire rack and then turn it right side up on a rack to cool completely.
Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic for up to 1 week.

Click here to see other bloggers who are participating. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's cakes and finding out what next months recipe will be! 

Anyone for a Yo Yo?

Yo Yo biscuits are one of my favourite biscuits, they have been since I was a little girl and my beautiful Grandma (still going strong at 97 years old) would make them... we would hunt through her cupboards looking for her latest batch! 

This is actually her recipe - this recipe uses custard powder which I think is what makes them tastier than some of the more plain biscuit types of yo yo's or melting moments as some people call them.

The trouble with making yo yo's is that never seems to be enough! Because you have to join them together, so this version is the doubled quantity which means there is always plenty for everyone!

YO - YO Biscuits
 
Biscuits
360g butter softened
120g caster sugar
320g plain flour
120g custard powder

Icing
2 cups icing sugar
1Tb butter
1 Tb milk 

Preheat oven to 180'C.

Cream butter and sugar together. 

Sift flour and custard powder THREE times. 

Add to butter/sugar mixture. 

Roll into small balls, place on tray and press with fork. 

Bake in moderate oven until light brown - approximately 12 - 15 minutes.

Sift icing sugar, melt butter and milk and gradually add until desired icing consistency. 

Once biscuits are fully cool, join with icing. 

Notes:

Variation - Add a small amount of passion fruit pulp to icing (this can be very runny so a little bit goes a long way!)

 Linked to:

Sugar and Spice @ 733 Creative Blog

Make it yours @ My Backyard Eden

Hoo's got talent? @ Night Owl Crafting
Mouthwatering Mondays @ A Southern Fairytale
Tasty Tuesdays@  Beauty and Bedlam 

Get your craft on @Todays Creative Blog
 Strut your stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple
Show off your stuff @ Fireflies and Jellybeans

Foodie Fridays @ Designs by Gollum

Just Something I whipped up @ The Girl Creative

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