Super Awesome Doughnuts

I have been trying to perfect the doughnut recipe and I think I have. My partner told me they they taste just like store bought so they are better than just nice.  He is a harsh critic so when he say's things like that I know I have a winner.

These doughnuts are a burst of happiness in your mouth and you can literally use this recipe as base for any type of flavour you want. To date I have made gingerbread doughnuts, mint, basil and sage doughnuts, chocolate doughnuts and cinnamon doughnuts. 

BASE RECIPE:

 

Ingredients:

Doughnuts:

2 tsp yeast

3/4 cup whole milk, warmed

2 1/2 cups of plain flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp butter

1/2 glutenous rice flour 

*If you wanted to make gingerbread doughnuts then add 2-3 tsp ground ginger, depending on how strong you like it.

*For mint, basil and sage doughnuts, infuse the herbs when you warm the milk for about 15 minutes then strain.  

Glaze: (you can use any type of flavouring, like ground cinnamon, not just chocolate,)

2 tbsp milk

2 tbsp chocolate powder (optional)

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

Method:

1) Mix the yeast with the warm milk. Milk should be blood temperature.

2) In your food processor, mixer or bowl combine the flours, butter, salt and sugar till mixture is like breadcrumbs.

3) Beat the egg and add it to the flour mix and whizz for a few seconds.Slowly add the yeasty milk and let the machine knead for about 5 minutes (or knead by hand for 10 minutes) If the dough is too sticky add a little bit more flour but don't over do it. 

4) Oil a bowl placing dough in and cover. Let it rise in a warm place until doubled the size.

5) Take dough out of the bowl and transfer to a lightly floured bench. Punch dough and knead for about 1 minute. Roll dough till it is approx 1.5cm thick. Cut out doughnuts with a cookie cutter and (I used a apple corer to cut out the center of each doughnut. Save the ball and let doughnuts and balls rise till double the thickness. 

6) Heat the oil in a large frying pan or deep fryer till a test piece of bread sizzles. Add four doughnuts at a time, cook till golden brown, being careful to keep an eye on them and turn them. 

7) Drain doughnuts on paper towel. Make the glaze and while still warm, dip the tops of the doughnuts and balls into the glaze and let set. Doughnuts can be stored in an air tight container for up to three days.

Tastebud Dancing Chocolate Mint and Raspberry Cake

This last week I have been testing out my new food processor I got for Christmas. I am in love with it, it is so versitile. You can make practically anything in it. Well yesterdays cooking was a Chocolate Mint and Raspberry Cake with Chocolate Cream Icing. Seriously people, this cake was nice. Little A ate most of ours and then she ate half of her friends piece.We ate this outside under the shade of a large tree while the girls were in the pool splashing about. Summer in a nutshell.

 Here is the recipe, give it a go and tell me how it works out for you!

125g butter, softened

1 cup caster sugar

1/4 cup frozen raspberries

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups Healthy Baker self-raising flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

1 cup milk  

4 mint sticks

double cream, to serve

1.      Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 6.5cm-deep, 20cm (base) round cake pan. Line with baking paper. Using a food processor, beat butter, sugar, 1 mint stick, broken and raspberries until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Use the Quad Blade.

2.      Sift half the flour and half the cocoa over butter mixture. Add half the coconut. Stir to combine. Add half the milk. Stir to combine. Repeat with remaining flour, cocoa, coconut and milk. Spoon into prepared pan. Smooth top. Bake for 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool

To make the chocolate cream icing just whisk together cream, 1 tsp cocoa powder and 1 tsp icing sugar till desired thickness and spread over cooled cake. The place the rest of the mint sticks onto the cake as decoration.