12 Holiday Food Comas: Jelly Doughnuts

December 16, 2013 - Elspeth Leave a comment

I know what you’re thinking: you’ve never had a jelly doughnut around Christmas, so what on earth am I talking about? Well, according to my in-the-know Jewish sister, jelly doughnuts are a traditional treat for Hanukkah. Since doughnuts are one of my favorite foods, there was no way I could turn down such a golden opportunity. Signed, sealed, delivered to my gullet.

Pinterest has been hopping with doughnuts made from Grands Biscuits and I was feeling extra curious, so I went the lazy route and bought the roll of Buttermilk for this adventure. For a quick, delicious treat, this was perfect. The doughnuts cooked in about 2 minutes, tasted like the “real” thing, and were very easy to fill. I went with standard jelly filling dusted with cinnamon-sugar for half, then the rest got a coffee-whipped cream filling with chocolate glaze. Served up with a pot of Earl Gray’s finest brew, this was a lovely breakfast (don’t worry, I did share some of them).

Hanukkah may be over for this year, but you can still enjoy a plateful of doughnuts to get into the holiday spirit!

Jelly Doughnuts

1 can refrigerated biscuits
oil for frying
1 t cinnamon
3 T white sugar
jelly of choice
1/2 c whipped cream
1 t instant coffee
1 t vanilla
1-2 T milk
1/2 c powdered sugar
2 T cocoa powder

In 3 small bowls: 1) Combine the white sugar and cinnamon; 2) combine the instant coffee and vanilla, then stir to dissolve; then mix in the whipped cream; 3) whisk together the milk, powdered sugar, and cocoa (this mixture should be the consistency of room temperature honey). Place the coffee whipped cream in a piping bag with a small circle tip on the end. Refrigerate until ready to use. Place the jelly in a separate piping bag with a similar tip.

Open the can of biscuits and cut into quarters. Roll the bits in your hands to form small balls. In a frying pan place about 1.5″ of oil and heat on medium-high. When the oil starts to shimmer, test the temperature by placing one doughnut and, if it starts to sizzle, you’re ready to go. Place the doughnuts in the pan with about 1″ between them. Fry until golden brown, about 60 seconds. Turn and brown the other side, about another 60 seconds. Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon onto a cooling rack with paper towel underneath.

When cooled (a minute or so, it doesn’t take long) you can start filling with the jelly or cream. Shove the piping tip firmly into the doughnut and squeeze until you feel the doughnut “puff” out a bit. The jelly-filled ones should then be rolled in the cinnamon-sugar, and the cream-filled joys should be dipped in the chocolate glaze. Feel free to experiment with other kinds of glazes and fillings– the options are endless (marmalade filling with almond glaze? Marzipan filling with raspberry glaze? This could go on for days.). Serve warm with a big glass of milk!

12 Holiday Food Comas: Rosemary Squash Casserole

December 15, 2013 - Elspeth Leave a comment

I know it’s wrong, but sometimes I just pour heavy cream on things. Just…all over it. Strawberries, peaches, waffles, my hand, etc. Usually those moments are influenced by the emotional eating part of my brain that says things like “If you’re sad, food will make you happy!” and other illogical things.

In this instance, however, the cream is not so random and impulsive. It melds wonderfully with the herbs and squash, creating a wonderful cold-weather dish that pairs beautifully with almost anything (…like more cream?). Be fairly generous with the salt and pepper and don’t try and go “lean” with skim milk— it will separate in the oven and not thicken properly while the dish cools.

Rosemary Squash Casserole
1 1/4 c heavy cream
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 t chopped fresh sage
1 t chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 c grated parmigiano
1 small butternut squash, peeled
2 small russet potatoes
1 small sweet potato, peeled
2 t salt
pepper

Preheat your oven to 375 and grease an 8″ x 8″ baking pan. In a small saucepan over low heat combine the herbs and cream, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, thinly slice the squash and potatoes. Layer them in the pan with the salt, pepper, and parmigiano (sprinkle them every time you make a new layer). When the cream is hot, fish the thyme sprigs out and pour the cream over the potatoes and squash in the pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Let rest for about an hour or two, to give the cream time to thicken. Warm gently when ready to serve and sprinkle with additional parmigiano. Nomnom!

12 Holiday Food Comas: Rum Cake

December 14, 2013 - Elspeth Leave a comment

People who first meet this cake don’t quite know what to do with themselves. They stutter. They pray. They beg for more. It’s a sad and beautiful spectacle to behold, especially since I was once one of those fools. Now my reaction to seeing it in residence is to simply punch everyone in the vicinity, shove the cake down my shirt for storage, and sprint for the hills. You could say it’s excessive, but I call it survival of the fittest.

Since my grandmother passed, my mother has gallantly taken up the mantle when it comes to Rum Cake prep. This is no small feat (she usually makes 4-5 during mid-December alone), but she does it without complaining (most of the time. One time I was worried she cracked in the middle of a holiday baking extravaganza because she sat down to “lunch” with a bowl of cookie dough.)

It’s highly addictive, moist, rummy, and has a beautiful butter-rum glaze that gives it a teeeeensy crunch on the outer crust. It’s amazing.

Rum Cake

1 Yellow cake mix
1 package vanilla instant pudding
4 eggs
1/2 c oil
1/2 c water
1/2 c rum
1/2 c chopped pecans (optional)
Glaze
1 stick butter
1/4 c rum
1 c sugar
1 tsp rum extract (I didn’t have this and it turned out just fine, so consider it optional if rum extract is not a staple in your house)

Heat your oven to 350. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, pudding, eggs, oil, water, and rum together. I would recommend doing one liquid at a time and mixing until homogenous, or else you’ll end up with lumpies. Generously grease a bundt pan and sprinkle the pecans on the bottom. Pour the batter in and level out with a spatula. Bake for 45-50 min, or until a knife comes out clean. For the glaze, bring all ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan, then immediately pour over the hot cake. Let stand until absorbed (about 10 minutes), then invert onto a plate to cool completely. Serve alone or with a dollop of whipped cream. Enjoy!