Peanut Butter Pancakes with Red Grape Syrup
Peanut Butter Pancakes with Red Grape Syrup
Was in the mood for pb&j this morning but since I was out of bread had to get creative. I had some red grapes in the freezer and I decided to pair them up with peanut butter pancakes. The combination was really good. I started by making the syrup. I took about 2 cups of frozen grapes and set them in a small skillet with about 1/4 cup of sugar. I let this mixture cook over medium high heat until the grapes were tender and the liquid in the pan had created a syrup. I didn’t need to add water as the frozen grapes gave off their juices as soon as they started to heat up. With fresh grapes you might want to add a little water to get the whole process going. It took about 15 minutes in all. While the grapes were cooking I made the pancake batter and began cooking the pancakes. When the pancakes were done I topped them with a few grapes and a drizzle of the pretty grape syrup. Not the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I had in mind- something so much better. Sometimes it pays to think outside the box.
Peanut Butter Pancakes
1 c. buttermilk baking mix, like Bisquick or Jiffy mix, I make my own
2 T. sugar
1 egg
1/3 c. peanut butter
2/3 half and half
1/4 c. water
Combine baking mix and sugar and set aside. Whisk together remaining ingredients until smooth and add the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Heat and lightly oil skillet and use 1/4 c. of better for each pancake. Cook over medium heat. Turn when edges appear dry. Makes 8.
Baklava
Baklava
This was specially requested for a dinner with friends. I don’t make it often, but who can say “no” to friends? Rich and sweet, small squares of baklava are a wonderful end to any meal. You can easily cut this recipe in half if you want to make a smaller batch. When working with phyllo keep the sheets pliable by covering them with a damp towel to keep them from drying out.
Baklava
2 lbs. phyllo
1 lb. butter, preferably unsalted
1½ lbs. walnuts or blanched almonds, chopped fine
½ c. sugar
½ t. cinnamon
1/8 t. cloves
Combine nuts, sugar and seasonings and set aside. Brush a large jellyroll pan (12×17) with butter and line bottom with 15 phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter as you go. Spread 1/3 of the nut mixture on phyllo leaves. Top with 5-6 buttered sheets of phyllo. Spread with another third of the nut mixture. Add another layer of 5-6 buttered leaves and remaining nut mixture. You should have 15-17 leaves for the top. Brush top layer of leaves with remaining butter. With a sharp pointed knife score the top sheets in whatever shapes and sizes you want. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour. Baklava should be golden brown. Meanwhile prepare syrup. When baklava has cooled, warm up the syrup and pour over.
Syrup:
2 c. sugar
1 c. honey
2 c. water
zest of 1 lemon or orange
Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Strain and set aside.
Maple Bacon Doughnuts
Maple Bacon Doughnuts
These were one of the doughnuts we did for Fat Tuesday. As you can imagine they came out really good. Easy to make, too.
Maple Bacon Doughnuts
3 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
1/2 t. grated ginger
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. maple syrup
1/3 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. melted butter
1 c. cooked, crumbled bacon
oil for deep frying
cinnamon sugar
Combine dry ingredients and set aside. In another bowl beat together eggs, sugar and syrup until well mixed. Stir in buttermilk and butter then stir in dry ingredients and bacon. Do not over mix. Chill dough at least a couple of hours before using. Overnight is better. When ready to use, heat oil to 375 degrees. While oil is heating roll dough out, on floured surface, 1/2 inch thick and cut out with a doughnut cutter. Fry several at a time for 1 minute per side. Drain on paper towels. Roll warm doughnuts in cinnamon sugar. Re-roll scraps. You will end up with about 18 doughnuts and 18 doughnut holes.
Tiramisu Doughnuts
Tiramisu Doughnuts
These are always the most popular doughnuts we make on Doughnut Days. I also made a blackberry filling for those who wanted jelly doughnuts. It would not be Fat Tuesday without some jelly doughnuts, too.
Tiramisu Doughnuts
Filling:
5 egg yolks
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. Marsala wine (not cooking wine)
2 c. whipping cream
4 T. sugar
1 lb. mascarpone cheese
Make zabaglione (egg custard). In double boiler, over simmering water, beat together egg yolks and sugar until lemon colored. Stir in Marsala and continue cooking, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and will mound on a spoon. This will take about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool down. You can place in bowl in fridge 30 minutes or so. Beat together whipping cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Beat in mascarpone and chilled zabaglione. Chill 1 hour.
Dough:
4 c. flour
2 T. sugar
1 t. salt
½ c. butter
1 packet yeast
¼ c. warm water
2 t. sugar
1 c. evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
Combine flour with sugar and salt. Cut in butter and set aside. Dissolve yeast in warm water and 2 t. sugar and set aside. Combine milk with eggs. Stir in yeast mixture and add to flour mixture stirring well. On lightly floured surface knead dough until dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. Dough will be very sticky. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1½ hours. Remove dough from bowl and punch down. Using about a third of the dough at a time roll dough out to about an ½ -inch thickness and cut out with a 2½ -inch biscuit cutter. Re-roll scraps and cut out. You should get about 2 dozen. Place dough circles on a floured surface and cover with a towel until doubled, about an hour. Heat oil in a deep pan until it reaches 375 degrees. Cook doughnuts a few at a time until golden on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Drain on paper towels and cool before filling.
Note: You can also refrigerate the dough after kneading it if you would prefer. Just place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight. Roll and cut dough into doughnuts when cold from the fridge. Allow to rise, covered, until doubled in bulk, about 2-3 hours. Fry as directed.
To fill doughnuts use a pastry bag fitted with a long tube tip for filling. I have these handy plastic syringes which are easy to use. Insert tube tip into doughnut and squeeze gently until doughnut is filled with cream (or jelly). Be careful not to overfill or doughnut will split. Once filled doughnuts can be frosted or topped with a sugar glaze. For the Tiramisu Doughnuts I made a mocha ganache.
Mocha Ganache
2 c. chocolate chips
1 c. whipping cream
1 T. instant coffee powder
Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe dish and heat in microwave for 2 minutes. Stir mixture until smooth and return to microwave if chocolate is not fully melted. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds more at a time, stirring after each time until mixture is smooth. For extra smooth mixture strain before using. Dip the top of the filled doughnuts in ganache.
Filling tool
Filling the doughnuts
Apple Fritters
Apple Fritters
One more recipe from Doughnut Days. These little fritters are fun because in the time it takes to heat up the oil you can mix up the batter. Ready to eat in 30 minutes or less. They are light and crispy. We rolled them in cinnamon sugar. They can also be rolled in powdered sugar. You can also use other fruits like pears or bananas in place of the apples.
Apple Fritters
2 c. flour
3 T. sugar
2 T. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1 c. milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 T. melted butter
2 c. diced apples
oil for frying- I used coconut oil
Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Mix together milk with the eggs and butter. Stir in dry ingredients until just moistened and stir in the apples. Heat oil to 375. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Don’t do more than 4-5 at a time. It will take about 4 minutes in total but you need to turn them to brown evenly so fry about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. While warm roll in powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar. Makes about 32. Best served warm.
Bacon Apple Fritters- Gluten Free
Bacon Apple Gluten-free Fritters
One of the biggest hits at this year’s Doughnut Days were the gluten free fritters. Inspired by my friend Blayne, I decided to give gluten free baking a try. I found a gluten free flour at Costco that promised you could use it measure for measure like regular flour. The end result were bacon and apple fritters with both great flavor and texture. One thing I noticed is that they were getting brown faster than regular fritters. We lowered the heat a little to cook them. Thanks again Blayne for the advice. Topped them with a maple glaze.
Bacon Apple Gluten Free Fritters
2 c. gluten-free flour
2 T. sugar
2 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 T. melted butter
1 c. diced apples
1 c. cooked, crumbled bacon
oil for frying- I used coconut oil
Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Mix together milk with the eggs and butter. Stir in dry ingredients until just moistened and add the apples and bacon. Heat oil to 350. If using regular flour heat oil to 375. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Don’t do more than 4-5 at a time. It will take about 4 minutes in total but you need to turn them to brown evenly so 2 minute per side. Drain on paper towels. Dip in maple glaze (recipe follows) while warm or roll in powdered sugar. Makes about 32.
Maple Glaze
1 c. Powdered sugar
1/2 c. maple syrup
a little water if mixture gets too thick
Combine all ingredients and set aside until ready to use.
The gluten-free flour I found at Costco
Chocolate Buttermilk Doughnuts
Chocolate Buttermilk Doughnuts
These are a cake type doughnut- using baking powder as leavening instead of yeast. These doughnuts have a soft texture inside with a slight crispiness to the outside. We made them yesterday using a doughnut cutter so we got both rings and doughnut holes. I am happy just serving them with a dusting of powdered sugar. With the help of some creative kids we ended up with chocolate doughnuts glazed, sugared and decorated with sprinkles. So pretty and so tasty. Here is the recipe.
Chocolate Buttermilk Doughnuts
3 1/4 cups flour
1/3 c. cocoa
1 T. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
2 beaten eggs
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
2/3 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. butter, melted
oil for deep frying- I used coconut oil
assorted topping such as cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, powdered sugar glaze, sprinkles, chocolate glaze
Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Beat together eggs, sugar and vanilla. Combine the buttermilk with the melted butter. Add half the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir until just blended. Beat in half of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cover and chill dough for at least a couple of hours before using. When ready to make doughnuts heat oil in a pan until it reaches about 375 degrees. While oil is heating, on floured surface, roll dough 1/2 -inch thick and cut out with a doughnut cutter. Fry doughnuts about 1 minute per side. Drain on paper towels. If rolling in sugar do so while they are still warm. They can be frosted and decorated with sprinkles when warm or at room temperature. Makes 20-25 doughnuts.
Decorating the doughnuts
Dipped in glaze and rolled in sprinkles
Ricotta-Cinnamon Fritters
Ricotta-Cinnamon Fritters
Still recovering from a wonderful day of making doughnuts with old and new friends. As promised I will be posting recipes for all the doughnuts we made on Fat Tuesday. I’ll start with the Ricotta Cinnamon Fritters. Light and not too sweet. They are also easy to make.
Ricotta-Cinnamon Fritters
3/4 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 T. cinnamon
1 c. ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
3 T. sugar
2 t. vanilla
Powdered sugar for dusting
oil for deep frying
Heat oil to 370 degrees in heavy saucepan. While oil is heating combine dry ingredients with cinnamon and set aside. Beat together cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in dry ingredients. Working in batches spoon batter by level tablespoonfuls into hot oil, turning occasionally until golden brown, about 3 minutes in all. Transfer with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Dust with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar and serve. Makes about 3 dozen.
Feed the Birds- Fruit!!!
Robin eating grapes
I have always fed the birds in Winter. It is a family tradition that I keep up. I know black oil sunflower seeds are the preferred food for many birds so that is what I fill the feeders with. Other things are good for them, too. I noticed a sweet robin hanging out under the bird feeder a few days ago. I know robins like fruit so I tossed out a couple of slightly shriveled apples that were going to go to the compost heap. The robin began eating them almost right away. Today she was out there pecking at an apple so I brought out some grapes. She started eating the grapes right away. It was sweet. As I shoveled the walkway she’d give me a look but never flew away. She just kept eating her unlikely Winter treat.
It brought to mind a robin from years ago. My Mother always fed the birds and one snowy day she saw a robin sitting under the feeder. She wanted to give her something she would really like so she sent my Father out to the bait store to get worms. She would toss a few out the window whenever she saw the robin. It was not lost on my Father that while he was NEVER allowed to bring bait into the house there was now a box of worms in the fridge. Mom read up in one of her bird books and discovered that robins are also fruit eaters so she switched to feeding the robin raisins. Eventually the robin would chirp under the kitchen window and my Mother would toss out some raisins. Over time the robin would flutter by the window if the raisins weren’t tossed out when she first arrive. You have to understand that my Mom had a special gift with all animals. They sense something in her that was gentle. Mom decided to hold the raisins in her palm rather than toss them one day. Sure enough the robin landed in her hand to eat them. The ritual continued for several winters. The robin would chirp, Mom would open the window and hold out a hand of raisins and the little bird would sit on her hand and eat them. I got a chance to feed her as well on several occasions.
So if you have some extra fruit around the house consider sharing with our feathered friends. They will be a welcome change. Who knows? You might even get a chance to hold a robin.
Butternut Squash Cupcakes
Butternut Squash Cupcake
Since I still have some winter squash I decided to use one the the butternut squashes to make a dessert. The cupcakes are moist, sweet and have a nice spice flavor. The orange butter cream complimented them well. I don’t like a lot of frosting so I made just enough for a swirl on each cupcake. You might want to double the frosting recipe if you like more.
Butternut Squash Cupcakes
4 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 c. oil
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 c. cooked butternut squash, you could use other winter squash or pumpkin
1 3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. cornstarch
3 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. cloves
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
Blend together in large bowl eggs, sugar, squash and oil and set aside. In another bowl combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and beat until well blended. Pour into paper-lined muffin tins, filling about 2/3 full. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until cupcakes spring bake when touched lightly. Cool 30 minutes before frosting. Makes 30-36. Frost with Orange Butter Cream.
Orange Butter Cream
1/3 cup butter
4 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In a bowl beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in the juice and vanilla. Slowly beat in remaining sugar.
