spice cake donuts w/ chocolate hard shell

When I saw that the NYT did an article about Thomas Keller's chocolate shell ice cream topping. I knew instantly I had to use it on a donut. This magic shell coating is really intended for ice cream. But who am I to resist a little kitchen culinary experiment?

For a great little ditty and tutorial on using it for ice cream go see my friend Irvin at eat the love . Oh what fun it would be to use this on a fresh, warm, crispy donut? Right? But sadly they do not harden as fast as they do for ice cream. I'm sure it has to do with the coldness of the ice cream makes the chocolate shell harden. But if you let them set up in the fridge they do harden and taste AMAZING!
I mean who doesn't love a deep fried crispy donut with a hard chocolate shell? These were good--really good. If you don't want the hard shell, the plain donuts are good as is or with a good dusting of cinnamon-sugar or a good old fashioned glaze. Mmmm donuts! But who doesn't want a chocolate bath? Come on now.

spice cake donuts with chocolate hard shell
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2 TB shortening
2 TB unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
1 cup heavy cream
2 ts high quality vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 oversized ts nutmeg
1 oversized ts cinnamon
1 ts salt

In a small bowl or glass mix the heavy cream, vanilla and eggs until well beaten.
In a medium bowl mix the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. I went ahead and sifted it too.
Cream the butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the cream/egg mixture and mix till well combined. Next add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined—don’t overmix! Transfer this to board and cover with plastic wrap. Let it refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight).
When ready to make the donuts, unwrap and place on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle or square with at least 1/2-inch thickness.
Using a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter cut out the donuts. If the cutter gets stuck in dough just dip it in flour before each cut. Place the doughnuts and holes on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Fill large/tall heavy bottomed pan with about 1/3 full of vegetable oil. Heat oil over medium heat until it reaches 375° degrees.
Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.
Remember to fry in small batches—don’t overcrowd the pan or the oil temperature drops way down and the donuts will start to absorb the oil. Fry the doughnuts (and holes), turning once until they are golden brown (about 2-3 minutes each side).
Once the donuts are done place them on the paper towels to absorb some oil and cool down.

Cook Notes:
When you are ready to dip the donuts in the chocolate use this recipe (below). Keep in mind once the hard shell is on the donuts it does not harden immediately like it does for ice cream. So you will need to let the donuts harden in the fridge to set up. And only use bittersweet chocolate as it states in the recipe. I was tempted to use milk chocolate and it was way too sweet.
The donut recipe above I halved and had more than enough chocolate dipping sauce below. If you do want to make the full batch recipe of donuts you might need to double the chocolate dipping sauce ingredients. If you don’t want coat the donuts in chocolate feel free to coat them in a cinnamon-sugar mix when they are fresh out of the deep fryer. 2 TB of cinnamon for every ½ cup of white sugar.
PLEASE make sure to spray you rack with non stick spray to prevent the dipped donuts from sticking to the rack once they are hardened.

chocolate hard shell for donuts (can be used for ice cream topping)
adapted from Thomas Keller

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 TB virgin coconut oil

Melt the chocolate in a small metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
Stir in the coconut oil and heat until dissolved, about 1 minute.
Keep the liquid lukewarm until ready to pour over the ice cream.
Chocolate will harden into a shell within a few seconds when spooned over ice cream.
Yield: 3/4 cup

To assemble:
If you hate getting your hands covered in chocolate then wear a plastic/rubber glove. Dip the donuts right in the chocolate. Turn over and coat the other side. Place on a rack that has been sprayed with non stick spray. The donuts will harden and stick to the rack if not sprayed. Let them sit a bit before putting in fridge to set up. You have to place them in the fridge to set up all the way—they don’t do it on their own.
If you want sprinkles, coconut, nuts, etc.. on your donuts, make sure to put them on when the chocolate is still wet.

sweet potato burritos

On one of those rare occasions I had leftover sweet potato hash. I know weird indeed. But look here, it went to good use: a burrito. A tasty lil critter of a burrito might I add. And as I type this I am thinking "I should have deep fried it!" That would have been heavenly.

The add in possibilities to this burrito are endless. Be creative or be "clean out the fridge'ish".
One of the great things I love about the sweet potato is they easily take the place of a meat--if seasoned right. I don't like to eat a lot of meat. Once a month I love to make my infamous cheeseburgers. I do crave them at least monthly.
I hope there are a lot of sweet potato lovers out there since I seem to post them a lot on here. They are just so versatile for meals and even for sweets. Remember when I made the sweet potato cupcakes? Yes. Need to make those again.

sweet potato burritos
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sweet potato hash (recipe below)
4 Flour tortillas
Cooked rice, any kind, any flavor
Monterey jack cheese, shredded
4 – 6 strips cooked bacon, chopped
Sour cream

Other add ins:
Beans
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Leftover chicken, pork, steak, tofu crumbles
Scrambled eggs
The list is endless….

For the sweet potato hash:
2-3 sweet potatoes, chopped into 1-inch cubes
EV olive oil
A few TB’s of butter
salt & pepper
¼ - ½ cup caramelized onions
Worcestershire sauce
1 – 3 chopped adobo chile peppers in sauce, minced (these are hot so use caution)

Caramelize some onions (about 1 giant sweet yellow onion) after it's done caramelizing add a few drops of the Worcestershire sauce, set aside.
Heat up same skillet (don’t clean it) with some EVOO and fry up the sweet potatoes until nice & crispy, season with salt and pepper. Towards the end of cooking add a few tablespoons of butter to the skillet to melt into the hash. Then add in a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, mix until combined. Then add in the chopped/minced adobo. Stir.

To assemble:
Warm up the tortillas, Fill with the sweet potato hash, bacon, rice, cheese and sour cream. Serve.

blueberry-almond double crust pie

Why wait for summer to have blueberry pie? And why have boring pie? Let's add something in there this time. What goes with blueberry? Well on a recent research quest to find the perfect croissant on cape cod (and it's hard let me tell you). I had a fairly decent almond croissant and though wow, there should be blueberries in here. That almond, crunchy, sugary paste is so good and a tart blueberry would pair nicely with it. So, I'm sure this has been done before, somewhere....

It's really easy to do, I just used a double crust and filled the two layers of the crust with that wonderful almond paste by King Arthur (or you can make your own or use whatever brand you like). If you do decide to make this, please read recipe instruction beforehand. It's worth the effort...it really is. The subtle flavor of the almond paste is heavenly.

I want to make almond croissants. I just have such a craving for them. My quest to find croissants around here are sad. Therefore I must make my own. Anyone had success with making almond croissants? Would love to hear about it.

Fill with a 1/4 cup or so of fresh almond paste. Then cover with another layer of pie crust. I've used pre-made pie crusts here--they work wonderful! Or you can use homemade pie crust; I've included a link in the recipe. 

Fill with blueberries, cover with pie crust, egg wash. Bake. Done!

Blueberry-Almond Pie
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cook notes: I do not like to make my blueberry pies too sweet in general. I only added in 1/4 cup of sugar. If you like your pies sweet you might want to add more sugar in. Also, with my crust, sometimes I like to tuck the crust under and not out with edges. Feel free to do it how you want. Sometimes I just like to tuck them under to have a neat, round pie--just for fun. You don't have to add a double crust on the top like I did. I'm just a crust-junkie so that's why I did it. But you might like it. If you like your blueberry filling a little more runny and juicy then only add in 1 TB cornstarch.

Crust:
2 - One double crust (so we need 4 layers of pie crust or you could use 3: 2 on bottom and 1 on top. I used 2 on bottom, 2 on top. Do what you want, but we need 2 for bottom in order to fill the pie crusts w/ almond filling).
If you need a good pie crust and want to know what I always use, it's Martha Stewart's recipe. Martha's basic pie dough never fails me. But you use what you like or use pre-made pie crusts. Keep in mind the pre-made one's might cook differently than homemade; just keep an eye on them when baking. In this recipe I used the pre-made pie crusts; they work wonderful!

Filling ingredients:
2 ½ pints of blueberries
2 TB fresh lemon juice
2 TB cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar

About ¼ cup of almond paste

Pie egg wash:
1 egg
2 TB heavy cream

In a glass combine the pie egg wash and mix/beat very well
In a bowl combine blueberries, lemon juice, cornstarch, and sugar. Mix well. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Spray your 9 inch pie pan with non stick spray. Place a layer of pie crust down. Fill & spread the almond paste. Cover with another layer of crust. Seal up the edges to close. Fill with blueberries. Take your egg wash and brush the edges of the pie. Place top layer of pie and seal all edges. Do it how you like but I like to tuck mine underneath. Feel free to do it however you like, just make sure they are sealed good.
Brush the rim of the crust with the egg wash and the entire pie. Poke a few slits on the top of pie before baking to let steam escape.
Place pie on a sheet lined with parchment paper.
At this point some of you might like to chill your pie. Please go ahead if you want too. I do not like to chill mine. I’ve never ever noticed a difference when I chilled it (unless it's summer or a hot kitchen). But do what works for you when handling pie doughs.
When ready to bake place pie in preheated 425 degree over and bake for about 15 minutes. Then turn heat down to 350 degrees and bake another 30 to 40 minutes. Mine was done at 30 minute mark; please check at the 30 minute mark.
To know when it’s done? Look for browned edges, bubbly insides.
Let cool before serving. Should serve 6-8.

crispy buttermilk-cheddar waffles w/ kielbasa maple syrup

When I go to diners I love to see what people are eating. Curious to see if they are like me: do they love their bacon or sausage dripping in maple syrup? Do they love cheesy grits with maple syrup? Do they have to take a bite of pancake with a bite of maple dripping bacon? And you know its great when I see there are others out there like me who think of breakfast as the absolute best time for the ultimate creations in sweet with savory. Sure desserts are another way of indulging in the whole sweet and savory family, but I truly think breakfast takes the crown. So many variations, creations can come of sweet and savory for breakfast and brunch.

To share a secret passion of mine: I have wanted for some time now to do a little bit of research on when and where or even who started the whole sweet & savory thing. I mean possibly it might not be just one person, could be a country or culture that had it in it's existence and it gradually made it over here to the US. It would be fascinating to see and learn--don't you think? As a kid I don't remember the whole sweet and savory thing being too popular, but I really wasn't reading cookbooks as a child, just watching Julia Child and Sesame Street. Julia did have one episode of cheese stuffed crepes with some sort of jam or cherry reduction. I remember this because she flambéed it. Best part.

What's your favorite "diner special"? And what's the best diner you've ever been to?

Mine would be corned beef hash, poached eggs, bacon all smothered in a perfect hollandaise sauce. Best diner? Man, that's hard a lot of good ones in NYC and New Jersey.

Crispy buttermilk-cheddar waffles w/ kielbasa-maple syrup
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Use your favorite waffle or buttermilk waffle recipe (that would serve 2-4 people)
Add to the batter ½ - ¾ cup of mild cheddar cheese, shredded
Cook as normal.

For the kielbasa-maple syrup:
Chopped kielbasa, small chunks (about ¾ - 1 cup)
1 cup or more of maple syrup

Fry up the kielbasa until nice and crispy. Degrease a little of the oil out of pan, then pour in the maple syrup, turn heat to low, and let heat up until waffles are done. Don't let it boil! Just warmed through. When waffles are done pour the hot kielbasa syrup over them.

If you don’t have a waffle recipe here is one from Cook's Illustrated:

Buttermilk Waffles
Makes about eight 7-inch round waffles.

While the waffles can be eaten as soon as they are removed from the waffle iron, they will have a crispier exterior if rested in a warm oven for 10 minutes. (This method also makes it possible to serve everyone at the same time.) Buttermilk powder is available in most supermarkets and is generally located near the dried-milk products or in the baking aisle. Leftover buttermilk powder, which can be used in a number of baking applications, can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a year. Seltzer or club soda gives these waffles a light texture that would otherwise be provided by whipped egg whites. (Avoid sparkling water such as Perrier—it’s not bubbly enough.) Use a freshly opened container for maximum lift. Serve waffles with butter and warmed maple syrup.

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup dried buttermilk powder (see note)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups unflavored seltzer water

Instructions
1.1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and place baking sheet in oven. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, buttermilk powder, and baking soda in large bowl to combine. Whisk sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and oil in medium bowl to combine. Gently stir seltzer into wet ingredients. Make well in center of dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir until just combined. Batter should remain slightly lumpy with streaks of flour.

2.2. Heat waffle iron and bake waffles according to manufacturer’s instructions (use about 1/3 cup for 7-inch round iron). Transfer waffles to rack in warm oven and hold for up to 10 minutes before serving with butter and maple syrup.

Technique
For Crispier Texture, Ban the Butter
For crispier results, we swapped the melted butter in our batter for oil. Unlike butter, oil contributes no moisture to the waffle. The exterior of the waffle can thus reach a higher temperature faster, giving the crust more time to form. Plus, oil helps keep the waffle cripe after it comes off the heat: As pure as fat, it is better able to repel water, keeping interior moisture from migrating to the waffle's dry, browned surface and turning it limp.

quarter pound double chocolate-mint stuffed cookies

Yep another 1/4 lb cookie. I'm on a mission people. A mission to make as many varieties of quarter pound cookies as I can. Yes, I am Levain Bakery obsessed. One of my close friends Esi says I need an intervention. Is there a rehab place for those obsessed with Levain Bakery cookies? In Malibu or something? As I type this up I am eating one and having a very hard time concentrating.
You know I made the double chocolate Levain Bakery clones here, and have always wanted to factor in a mint element somewhere in there. I don't want a lot of mint because the chocolate in these cookies is high quality and strong--so I don't want that to get lost with a mint extract. Next best thing I thought are those York peppermint patties. They aren't too minty and will offer a small little package of something something in the middle of the giant HOCKEY PUCK sized cookies.

Can you guess what the next quarter pound cookie creation will be?





quarter pound double chocolate mint stuffed cookies
recipe by & from vanillasugarblog.com
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2 and ¾ sticks unsalted butter, grated & cold
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 TB half & half (or cream)
1 ½ ts pure vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
½ cup + 2 TB cocoa powder (not dutch process)
1 TB cinnamon (if you have Vietnamese cinnamon use it)
Oversized ¾ ts sea salt
1 and ½ ts baking powder
½ ts baking soda
2 cups 60 % or higher cocoa dark & milk chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (a combo of dark & milk)
10 candy mint patties (like York peppermint patties)

Grate your butter into a bowl; keep in freezer until ready to use.
In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, or by hand beat butter and both sugars just until creamy. Don’t overbeat. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and half & half and beat just until incorporated.
In another bowl mix the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
When thoroughly mixed, add to batter and stir just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
Keep in mind this dough is very hard to mix, sticky and thick. I just get in there and use my hands to mix, cover bowl, and get back in the fridge as soon as possible. Recipe by dawn Finicane of vanillasugarblog.com We want to keep this dough nice and cold. Chill dough at least an hour before baking.
Divide dough into 10 – 12 lemon size balls. Don’t shape as a lemon though, just shape as a nice round ball. Spilt ball in half, insert a peppermint patty, cover with other half and seal all edges. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet—keeping them 3-4 inches apart. Now back into the fridge to chill.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Depending on your oven, these should need anywhere from 12- 15 minutes to cook. It’s hard to tell when they are done, but look for:
- slightly crisp edges
- soft in the middle
- cracks in dough ok
- all around semi firm

If you have a convection oven you might need to bake these at 365 for about 12 – 14 minutes.
Don’t overbake or they will turn into scones.
Once baked don’t try and move the cookies off the pan, they will break apart, let them rest at least an hour before moving them.
Makes 10-12 giant cookies. (mine made 10—I just wanted them huge this time round)