Thursday, October 31, 2019

Peanut Crunch Donuts

Have I mentioned before how much I love donuts? I might have posted a recipe (or ten) of my favorites. You can check out my chocolate glazed donut holes, or this super quick recipe, or this trio of tempting treats.

It's really impossible for me to pick an ultimate favorite, but one of my favorites is the peanut-covered cake donut Dunkin' Donuts makes. I don't know if it's because they're more expensive to produce or because Dunkin' wants to avoid a common allergen, but lately it's harder and harder to find these treasures. Desperately craving them the other day, I decided to figure out a way to make them myself.

This was not the easiest or quickest recipe I've ever made, but it was totally worth the effort. These things were GOOD, and the recipe made a ton, so there's plenty to share (or not, I won't judge!) Even better, while most donuts taste stale the next day, these still tasted fine a week later (stored in an airtight container). When I finally finished them off, I was ready to make another batch!

If you can enlist an assistant to help, the process goes smoother and quicker, especially when it comes to the glazing and peanut-ing.

Peanut Crunch Donuts 
Total time: 90 min
Serves 20

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 1/2 Tbs butter, softened
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
6 cups all-purpose flour
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups of peanuts, finely chopped(
(plus oil for frying)

For the glaze:
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar


With a mixer, cream 1 1/2 cups sugar and softened butter. Add milk, egg, 3 cups flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; mix well. Mix in an additional 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour to form a soft dough that can be rolled out.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness. (Make sure it's 1/2-inch thick--thinner doesn't develop a tender cakey inside, and thicker will lead to insides being undercooked.) Use a donut cutter to cut rounds, flouring the cutter between each cut. Gather up dough scraps and re-roll; cut additional donuts. (Re-roll only once, as over-worked dough results in tough donuts.)

Preheat deep fryer or large Dutch oven filled with at least 1 inch of oil to 360°F. Once oil is at temperature, carefully drop in three to five donuts. Fry until light golden brown all over, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side, turning with tongs or a slotted spoon once or twice during cooking. Line a baking sheet or wire rack with a double thickness of paper towels. Remove cooked donuts from oil and place on the paper towels to drain and cool. Repeat in small batches. Don't forget the donut holes!

For the glaze, combine the milk and vanilla in a saucepan and heat on low until warm. Gradually sift the sugar into the milk mixture, whisking gently and continuously, until well-combined. Remove the saucepan from the stove and place in a bowl of warm-hot water so that just the base of the saucepan is submerged in the water. If the glaze is so thick that it is starting to harden in parts, continue whisking it while very slowly dropping in hot water using a spoon until the glaze is just smooth without clumping or hardening as you whisk.

Take each donut and quickly dip it in the glaze on both sides and immediately roll the donut in the peanuts. Let cool then store in an airtight container.

Alternately, you could leave some donuts plain, dip some in glaze but not peanuts, or roll some in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. I did some of each, and they were all great.

386 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!



Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Maple Pecan Apple Pie Bars

My husband's ex-pat aunt and uncle were coming to visit us from Mexico this week, so I was trying to pick a crowd-friendly dessert to make for them. Since it's officially fall (even though tomorrow is forecasted to be 97°!) my first thought was something pumpkin, but apple seemed like a safer choice. My husband reminded me there's nothing more American than apple pie, so that settled the debate.

Normally, I prefer to make new and creative things, not the same old, same old. And apple pie, while delicious, is kind of boring. But this recipe was just different enough to spark my interest. The inclusion of maple extract in the glaze, something I was eager to try, was the clincher. So, I added a new bottle to my collection of extracts and got baking. (I found maple extract at Walmart, but if you can't find it, vanilla extract would do.)

This recipe turned out to be a huge hit with everyone, and they devoured the whole pan in two days. They pleaded for the recipe, so I promised I'd add it to my blog ASAP. Here you go, Aunt Patty!


Maple Pecan Apple Pie Bars 
Prep time: 15 min Bake time: 40 min
Serves 20

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, chilled
1 egg, slightly beaten

Filling:
1/2 cup flour
3 apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp maple extract
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (I used candied pecans since I had some on hand)

Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.



In a large bowl combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder and mix well. Cut in butter with pastry knife or two forks or until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Add egg and mix to combine. Press dough into prepared pan.



To prepare the filling, combine apples and flour and toss to coat. Add brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon and stir to combine. Spread over crust. (Alternatively, you could use a 21 oz. can of apple pie filling.)

Bake 40 minutes. Let cool completely.

For glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, and maple extract and whisk until smooth. Pour over cooled bars. Top with chopped pecans. Allow glaze to set before cutting bars. Store in airtight container.

200 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!