Churro Donuts

Churro Donuts
makes 12

1/2 C butter
1 1/4 C flour
3/4 C sugar
3/4 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1 lg egg
1/2 C plus 2 T buttermilk
1 t vanilla ext

Cinnamon Sugar Coating
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
1 T cinnamon
Left over browned butter

Preheat oven to 350. Spray donut pan with baking pam and set aside.

Melt the 1/2 C of butter in a small pan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.  Butter will crackle and foam a but as it browns.  Once butter is light brown and smells nutty, take off heat and transfer to small bowl.  Be careful, it goes from brown to black fast.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a small bowl combine egg, buttermilk and vanilla, plus 2 T of the browned butter.  Reserve the left over brown butter for the cinnamon sugar coating.

Add wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.  Do not over mix.

Place batter into a large ziploc bag and cut about 1/2 " piece off one corner to create a disposable pastry bag.  Fill each well in the donut pan approximately 3/4 full.

Bake for 9-12 minutes, checking with a toothpick at 9 to prevent being dry.  Remove pan from oven and let sit a couple minutes, then invert pan onto wire rack to cool completely.  Once cooled, trim with a knife or scissors any edges to create a round donut.  (Don't worry if it looks ugly, the cinnamon sugar topping covers all flaws. And yes, all my donuts have a very flat bottom.)

Combine sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl breaking up any lumps.

Using left over brown butter (melt in microwave for 5-10 seconds if it has become too solid) and working quickly one at a time, lightly brush donut with brown butter, and roll around in sugar mixture until will coated. I had best results spooning it all around.

If not eating immediately, cover with plastic wrap or freeze.

*Recipe adapted from sharedappetite.com.
*I've made these several times and I still think the batter is too runny.  The original recipe had only 1 C flour and I added a little more.  I think next time I will try omitting the extra 2 T buttermilk and see if that helps.
*Made them for Easter Brunch and the 2nd Dessert of the Month Club

Best Ever Hot Fudge Sauce

Best Ever Hot Fudge Sauce

6 oz good quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (I used Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1/4 C sugar
2 T butter
1 t vanilla
pinch of sea salt
1/2 C half and half

Place all ingredients except half and half into a blender.

Place half and half into a medium size bowl and heat in microwave on high for 75-90 seconds or until it's vigorously boiling. (Or on the stove stirring frequently.)

Immediately pour half and half over contents in the blender.  Blend on medium high for 1 minute. Scrape down sides and blend again for one more minute.  If you want to thin it down a bit, just add a little more half and half a teaspoon at a time.

Store in an airtight container in refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.  Sauce will get thicker when chilled but will thin out when warmed up.  Reheat in microwave, stirring every 10 seconds.  Makes approx. 1 cup of chocolate sauce.

*Recipe from thecafesucrefarine.com
*This picture is lame, but oh so accurate and truthful.  When hot fudge sauce is just as good cold at 10:00 at night, it needs to be documented....it's a delicious ganache, so smooth and creamy.
*Found it easier to make a double batch in the blender, 1 batch was a little small.
*Such a great addition to brownies and ice cream with Crunch Topping & whipped cream!

Mixed Berry Pavlova

Mixed Berry Pavlova (mini's and large)

4 extra large egg whites, at room temp (I feel organic egg whites work best)
pinch kosher salt
1 C sugar
2 t cornstarch
1 t white wine vinegar
1/2 t pure vanilla ext (or vanilla bean paste...leaves the fun vanilla bean specks)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. (My oven only has a dial with small marks, so I erred on the side of hot, closer to 200 than 175).

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan.  Draw a 9 inch circle on the paper for a large and draw 5 smaller circles spaced as best you can (4 1/2 inch, but I think I'll go smaller next time and maybe get 6 out of it).  Turn the paper over so you don't get pencil on the meringue.

Place egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.  Beat the egg whites on high speed until firm, about 1 minute. With mixer still on high, slowly add the sugar and beat until it makes firm shiny peaks, about 2 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the mixer, sift the cornstarch onto the beaten egg whites, add the vinegar and vanilla, and fold in lightly with a rubber spatula.  Pile the meringue into the middle of the circle on the parchment paper and smooth it with in the circle, making a rough disk.  For the smaller meringues, I divided it a spoonful at a time, trying to make it as even as possible between the 5 circles. Smooth out to create a flat top for the whipped cream and the fruit.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours for the large meringue and 45 minutes for the smaller ones.  Turn off the oven and let large meringue sit for another hour as the oven cools, and 30 minutes for the smaller ones. Bring out of oven and let cool completely.

Once it is cool, transfer to a serving platter, top with sweetened whipped cream and any fruit you like.  The mixed berry combo is divine.

Sweetened Whipped Cream

1 C heavy whipping cream
2-4 T powdered sugar
1 t pure vanilla ext

Place cream in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat on high until cream starts to thicken.  Add vanilla and sugar to taste.  Continue to beat until really thick.


*Recipe for meringue is from Ina Garten via foodnetwork.com
*The meringue is so fragile, when putting cream on one, the whole thing collapsed from the weight of the cream.  Still tasted divine!
*Also, one of my ovens does NOT work for these. It's a wall oven and I wonder if it doesn't vent the moisture properly. I don't know, but the ones I cooked in it came out gooey and inedible until I put them back into the other oven and cooked them to death.  My free standing oven works best.
*Month 1 of Dessert of the Month Club, only posting the successes.

Flying Biscuits

Flying Biscuits

3 C flour
1 T plus 1 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
2 T plus 1 1/2 t sugar
6 T unsalted butter at room temp (consistency of shortening)
2/3 C heavy cream
2/3 C half and half
2 T half and half for brushing on top of biscuits
1 T sugar for sprinkling on top of biscuits

Preheat oven to 375. Line sheet pan with parchment or a silpat.

Place flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Cut butter into 1/2 T sized bits and add to the flour.  Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work the batter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal.

Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in all the heavy cream and half and half.  Stir the dry ingredients into the cream and mix with a wooden spoon until dough just begins to come together into a ball.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 2 or 3 times to form a cohesive mass.  Do not overwork the dough.  Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to a 1-inch thickness.   (The correct thickness is the key to obtaining a stately biscuit.) Dip a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter (I use a 2 inch) in flour, then cut the dough.  Repeat until all the dough has been cut.  Scraps can be gathered together and rerolled one more time.  Place the biscuits on a the prepared sheet pan.  Leaving about 1 inch between them.  Brush the tops of the biscuits with the half and half and sprinkle with the sugar.  Bake for 20 minutes (Mine went about 18).  Biscuits will be lightly browned on top and flaky in the center when done.

Makes 8-12 biscuits depending on the size of the cutter.

*Over 12 years ago, Hans had business in Atlanta, Georgia so I went along to be able to spend time with one of my dearest friends, Christy Hood Vico (lifelong friend that I met in England at ACS). She was teaching kindergarten so I spent time in her classroom and on a farm field trip.  But on our Saturday morning, she took us to her favorite breakfast place...The Flying Biscuit.  So good.  So dang good.  I immediately bought the cookbook and have been making these biscuits ever since!  They rarely make an appearance at breakfast, but often accompany a great soup during the winter. They truly are so good.

Black Bean Salsa

Black Bean Salsa

1 can black beans drained and rinsed
2 C frozen sweet white corn
1 sweet pepper diced (orange, yellow or red...no green)
2 large tomatoes (4 small) diced
3 green onions sliced
1 avocado diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 Zesty Italian Seasonings dressing - made up with oil, vinegar and water according to directions

Mix in a bowl and season with salt and pepper if needed.  Serve with warm corn tortilla chips.

**I've had a ton of different versions of this recipe, but I like this one best.  And if my avocados are ripe enough, I usually put 2 or 3 in. But for the picture, I was lucky one was ripe.
**And in my opinion, the smaller the dice and slice, the better.

Tuxedo Cake

Tuxedo Cake

Cake
1 C unsalted butter
2 C water
1 C canola oil
4 C sugar
1 C high quality unsweetened cocoa powder
4 C flour
4 large eggs
1 C buttermilk
1 T baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 T vanilla

Whipped Cream Frosting
4 c chilled heavy whipping cream
1 1/4 C powdered sugar

Chocolate Glaze
4 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate (broken into pieces)
1/2 C heavy whipping cream
1/4 C corn syrup (or Lyles Golden Syrup- which I have yet to find)
2 t vanilla

To make the cake: Place one baking rack one -third from the bottom of the oven and the second two-thirds from the bottom. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper rounds, grease with butter, and dust with flour (or spray with Baker’s Joy).

Combine the butter, water, and canola oil in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, cocoa, and flour. Pour the butter mixture into the sugar mixture and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the buttermilk. Whisk in the baking soda, salt, and vanilla all at once. Transfer the batter to the prepared pans.

Stagger the cake layers on the oven racks so that no layer is directly over another. Set two layers on one rack and the third on the other.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of each layer comes out clean. Monitor the layers carefully for doneness; each one maybe done at a different time.  Remove the cakes from the oven and cool on racks for about 15 minutes before inverting onto baking racks. Cool the cakes completely, at least 2 hours, before frosting.

To make the frosting: Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream in a large bowl on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and whip until thoroughly combined.  (I try to get it as thick as possible.) Place 1 cake layer on a platter and spread some of the frosting over the top. Top with the remaining layer or layers, thickly coating the top and sides of each with frosting.  Refrigerate the cake until the whipped cream frosting has stabilized, at least 1 hour.

To make the glaze: Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it is very hot and just beginning to steam. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until it has melted completely. Stir in the syrup and vanilla. Pour the glaze into a medium pitcher or measuring cup and let cool for 10 minutes. Do not let the glaze sit longer because it will stiffen and become difficult to pour over the cake. Slowly pour the glaze over the cake, ensuring that it covers the top and drizzles down the sides. Cover the top of the cake entirely, but make sure some of the cream frosting shows through the drizzles on the sides. (If the glaze doesn’t flow easily over the edge of the cake don’t be afraid to add an extra tablespoon or two of corn syrup.) I sometimes pour it over slowly using a small measuring cup.

Refrigerate the cake until the glaze is set and the whipped cream frosting is firm, at least 1 hour. Slice the cake with a long knife, dipping it in a tall glass of hot water between each slice. The refrigerated cake will keep for about 2 days.

*This recipe was passed on to me by Dayna Magleby, who loves a good party and a beautiful cake! This cake is so fun and festive, yet the flavors are simple and every one loves it!  However, I have yet to see people eat more than one slice, let alone the first one they are served.

*Recipe adapted from The Pastry Queen

*Josie picked this for her 8th birthday!

See what I mean? 8 slices not finished....so rich! ;) But by the next day....not a slice to be had, cake plate cleaned!

Beef Braise

Traditional Beef Braise

3-4 lbs beef roast, large cubes (2 inch)
coarse salt
black pepper
2 T canola oil
1 onion, chopped
4 celery stalks, thick sliced
6 carrots, thick sliced
1-2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
4 fresh thyme sprigs
3/4 C balsamic vinegar
3/4 C red wine vinegar
6 C chicken stock or broth
1/4 C fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

Season beef with salt and pepper.  Place oil in a large dutch oven or pot over med-high heat and brown pieces of meat in a single layer. Brown all sides, turning with tongs and doing it in batches. When done, transfer beef to side bowl and continue until all pieces are done.

Turn the heat down and add onion, carrot, celery, garlic and thyme. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up al the crusty bits int he pan. Cook for 6-8 mins, until they just start to get some color.  Pour in the vinegars.  Turn the heat up to high and reduce the liquid by half, about 10 mins.

Stir in the broth and parsley and bring to a boil.  Return the beef to the pot, along with accumulated juices.  The stock mixture should almost cover the beef.  Cover and reduce the heat to low.  Braise until the meat is very tender, about 3 1/2 hours.

Remove the lid and pierce the beef with a paring knife, it will fall apart.  If you use a well marbled roast, the cooking time seems to be less that if you use a lower fat roast.  Both end up tender, you may just need to cook the lower fat beef longer.

We love to serve it over Roasted Potatoes.

*Recipe adapted from The Lemonade Cookbook
*Very similar flavor to Beef Bourguignon but a lot simpler.